Unmei: A Dragonball Story
by hatsuko12
Summary: An alternate story set during the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai and moving on through the Boo saga, which I will rewrite to be a little different from the manga. Featuring Piccolo and an original character, Hatsuko, but all the characters remain important.
1. Reunions

Unmei 運命: A Dragonball Story

Setting: The 25th Tenkaichi Budokai

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Dragonball Z. All rights go to Akira Toriyama and any affiliates. This applies to my story in its entirety.

Chapter 1: Reunions

A young adolescent girl with dark brown hair and pale skin walked out of her small house just outside of West City. Her skirt billowed in the midnight air.

_She made this skirt just like her's…_

Tears began to silently leak from her steel-blue eyes. Her fists were so tightly clenched that she was sure her nails were drawing blood from her ghostly white palms. Her mind was empty. Her life was over.

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Piccolo stood underneath a tree in the center of the Tenkaichi Budokai stadium grounds. His arms were characteristically crossed, while one of his long legs crossed the other. The wind ruffled his cape and he closed his eyes, feeling the various energies being given off by the people and animals walking past him. _I remember when this tournament was only a few hundred strong…how times have changed. _A familiar voice brought him out of his reverie.

"Piccolo! You made it! It's great to see you!" Son Gohan approached him, dawning a rather peculiar outfit topped off with a pair of sunglasses that reminded Piccolo of the Turtle Hermit.

"Gohan," Piccolo acknowledged while trying to make sense of his new look, "How have you been?" Gohan had to be looking for his father. Son Goku had recently died and was being admitted back into the world of the living for one day to compete in the tournament with the rest of his friends and family.

"Have you seen my dad around? We just got here." Just as Gohan finished his sentence, a light tap of feet sounded a short distance away. Piccolo glanced beyond Gohan's bandana-adorned head to see Son Goku's halo-adorned one. He smiled softly.

"Son," acknowledged Piccolo with a nod.

Gohan turned sharply around and met his father with a running hug. Tears welled in his eyes for the first time in years.

"Dad! I can't believe you're really here! It's been so long!" Goku laughed heartily and hugged his son back. In an instant, a mob of friends and family came forward, all hailing Goku's presence. Chi Chi, Goku's wife, sobbed as she embraced her husband. Krillin, Goku's best friend, wiped away a tear as he realized how much Goku had missed in the past few years. Krillin had since gotten married and had a child in his friend's absence. After all the commotion was over, Goku finally met his second son, Goten. Son Goten was the spitting image of his father as a boy.

"You're like a little me, son!" Goku joked as he hugged Goten for the first time.

After the reunion was complete, those who planned on competing in the tournament went on to the registration booth. Gohan and Goku chatted excitedly about Goku's experience in the afterlife. He had been able to retain his body and train to make his spirit even stronger than it was at the time of his death. Piccolo followed behind them, listening to their conversation in silence. The Saiyan Prince Vegeta took up the rear, keeping to himself as usual. He purposely blocked Goku's conversation from his focus.

_I don't care how much training you've been through, Kakarrot. I'm still going to defeat you._

After Goku and Gohan registered, Piccolo stepped up to the podium and stated his pseudonym "Ma Jr.". He withheld his real name to avoid causing a panic amongst the crowd. His father, Piccolo Daimao, terrorized the Earth on two occasions, only to be ultimately defeated by Goku. Piccolo himself had been guilty of following in his demon father's footsteps, only to alter his character for the better.

Just as Piccolo finished registering, Vegeta grunted loudly. Piccolo began to turn around to ask what his problem was, when suddenly a barrage of water droplets hit him in the face. He let out a loud grunt as well, while simultaneously blocking his eyes with his large green fist.

"What the hell?" he growled while slowly opening his eyes. He looked in front of him to see that a woman with sopping wet hair tied back in a long pony tail had cut the line to register. She was frantically murmuring to the attendant at the podium. Piccolo squinted at her and bared his teeth.

_The insolence!_

Vegeta was obviously sharing Piccolo's thoughts. He grunted again and pushed his way in front of the girl, who was completely soaked from head to toe. Her heavy overcoat was dripping water all over.

"Move out of the way! I was here first!" Vegeta scowled at the woman, who wasn't paying him any mind. Vegeta gave the attendant a harsh stare and demanded that he be able to give his name so he could get on with his preparation for the tournament. When the attendant's attention was pried from her, the woman stopped talking abruptly and turned to stare at Vegeta. She furrowed her brow slightly, but said nothing. Vegeta met her gaze and frowned at her.

"What are you staring at? Have you got something to say to me?"

The woman continued her piercing stare. Piccolo locked his eyes to hers. They were a metallic steel blue. Her face was flushed pink, as were her lips. She stunk of salt.

_Strange…_ He thought.

When Vegeta was left without a reply from the girl, he gritted his teeth and left the podium after leaving his name rather rudely. Piccolo followed him, watching the girl as she went back to conversing with the attendant.

A public announcement sounded loudly through the air, "All contestants, please register within five minutes. I repeat, registration will end in five minutes. After registering, please report to the locker rooms and/or preliminary area. Thank you."


	2. The Junior Division

Chapter 2: The Junior Division

A cold wind blew, enveloping her tear-stained face with her long hair. She began to quake with sorrow, letting her legs buckle until she was face down in the wet grass. The rich smell of the earth filled her nose and made her exhale forcefully.

_How could I have allowed this to happen? I can't understand it…I tried everything. Everything I could have done had been done…but I must have done something wrong…made a mistake…_

The young girl's thoughts ran rampant with every treatment she had given them, every doctor she took them to in order to validate those treatments. Her efforts had been in vain. They were gone. But how? How had all of her training and knowledge failed her?

_I learned from the best…and I still failed, _she thought while she slowly brought her upper body away from the ground with her arms.

_I'm sorry for my incompetence, Mom and Dad. I swear I'll find out what was wrong with you. I love you both so much…_

She managed to compose herself just enough to sit cross-legged. Her hair clung to her sticky face. The smell of the dirt became strong as her right hand dug into the ground. She began to cry again silently as she let go of all her restraints. She closed her eyes and drifted into a state of tranquility and color. The colors manifested themselves into patterns and far away in the distance, sweet sounds echoed towards her. She basked in the energy they gave off. It was incredibly warm and intoxicating. She felt a pull in her core to become one with this sound's energy. Deep within her, something burst. All of the sudden, her voice projected the sound energy forth into the night air, causing an invisible force to ripple out from her body like an explosion. The note she sang echoed far into the distance and sustained itself for several minutes. The energy radiated all around, and then dissipated.

When she awoke, the girl looked around her to see that it was early morning. The sun was beginning to rise on the horizon and gave off a peachy glow. She blinked and rubbed her eyes with her dirt-covered hands. When her vision became clear, she noticed a small flower beneath her, a jasmine blossom. Its tender petals sparkled with dew and new life.

* * *

The buzz of the tournament reached new heights as everyone prepared for the junior division competition. Trunks, Vegeta's son, and Goten were to participate. Trunks was quite put off by the idea of a junior division. He knew that Goten and himself were more than capable of competing against the adults. He wanted very badly to fight his father to showcase how far he had come as a warrior.

Goten approached Trunks in the preliminary area for the junior division fighters. Everyone around them was introducing themselves to their opponents, exchanging false hopes of success to the other.

"Trunks, I don't think being in this division is _that _bad. At least we get to fight each other!" Goten tried to sway his friend's mind about the competition. He was excited to show him how strong he had become while training with his brother Gohan.

"Mmmm…" responded Trunks. He was obviously not enthused.

High up in the stadium, Goku and the other adult contestants gathered to watch the junior division matches. In this group stood Vegeta, Krillin, Piccolo, Gohan, Gohan's new girlfriend Videl, and Krillin's cyborg wife who called herself Number 18. Krillin joked about how he thought that Trunks and Goten were going to have no problem defeating anyone but each other.

Videl felt quite uneasy being in this group of strangers. She had just recently begun training her chi with Gohan after school. She was getting the hang of it, but from what she had seen, these fighters was far more superior than she had ever imagined was possible. Her father, Mr. Satan, the world renowned wrestler who supposedly saved humanity, was in her eyes the strongest man alive. She was beginning to have doubts.

_I wonder how Gohan knows all these people. Except for his dad and the short guy, they all seem pretty uptight and grouchy. _Her eyes fell on Vegeta, Piccolo, and 18. They stood rigidly straight. Both Vegeta and Piccolo had their arms crossed in front of their broad chests. Number 18 had not said anything since Videl had met her.

Down below, the tournament announcer strutted onto the arena with his microphone in hand. Goku smiled at his familiar face and remembered when he first met him when he was a young boy.

"Ladies and gentlemen! The junior division round is about to begin! Please give our 35 young warriors a big round of applause!" he bellowed. His command prompted a loud eruption of praise from the crowd as the contestants walked into the arena. Trunks and Goten took up the rear. Trunks had his eyes closed and his head held high. Goten looked around in awe of the audience with his mouth slightly agape. Never in his life had he seen this many people in one place.

Krillin spotted Trunks and Goten and immediately pointed them out to his friends.

"Look guys, there they are!" He exclaimed. A board smile spread across Gohan's face as he saw Goten's expression. He eagerly awaited his brother's chance to fight. Gohan was jarred out of his thoughts about his last training session with Goten by Videl's elbow piercing his rib cage. He looked at her and raised his eyebrows.

"What is it?"

"It's that girl over there," Videl whispered with one hand covering her mouth. "She's been staring at us for the past few minutes. She never looks away and it's kinda freaking me out."

Gohan glanced past Videl to the end of the aisle. A girl was standing there, hunched on the railing of the wall she stood behind. Her eyes were on him. She didn't seem to have any readable expression on her face. It was definitely odd. Gohan turned to Goku and asked him if he knew the girl from somewhere. Goku examined her features and shook his head.

"Sorry, son. I don't think I've ever met her before."

Vegeta and Piccolo's attention turned to the girl as well. Vegeta met her gaze and wrinkled his nose.

"Hmmph. It's that good-for-nothing woman who cut me in line earlier. I hope I get paired with her in the tournament so I can teach her a lesson," Vegeta said too loudly. Upon hearing Vegeta, the girl smirked. Piccolo noticed this and furrowed his brow.

_What does she want?_

The girl suddenly stood upright and began to walk towards their party. Vegeta kept his eyes on the arena as if he had never said anything. Piccolo eyed her as she advanced and he noticed she was still smirking. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face. She was completely dry now. She still smelled of salt. Her long mahogany tinted hair was flowing free in the wind. Its highlights captured the radiance of the sun and shone brightly. She certainly had a presence.

As she met Piccolo's gaze her smirk disappeared. Her face was suddenly tense and perturbed, as if she had just heard some dreadful news. She passed behind Goku and the rest of the group quickly without a word. As she walked away, Piccolo clenched his teeth.

"Did you see that? She looked like she had just seen a ghost or something," Gohan said as he watched her depart as well. Vegeta grunted as a signal for Gohan to be quiet. Piccolo kept his eyes on her until she disappeared from the stadium. He felt no life force from her at all. Her chi was nonexistent.


	3. The Preliminaries

Chapter 3: The Preliminaries

Hatsuko shuddered and was suddenly cold.

_It was him. I'm sure of it now. He might look different, but that chi… _Her thoughts trailed off into nothing. It was Piccolo Daimao, the feared demon king. She had seen him in all his green glory.

Hatsuko composed herself as she made her way to the locker rooms. This was a better time as any for some meditation. After feeling the demon's chi, hers became extremely unstable. Some part of his spirit had a heavy, suffocating presence that was characteristic of the demon clan. Theirs was a spirit of evil and impossible strength…a deadly combination.

_I just need to take it easy and focus…I have to control my energy if I am going to be around this creature. He has alliances as well. They were all even stronger than he was. If I don't get a hold of myself, I could die. _She silenced her mind after the thought of death uncomfortably washed over her. Finally, Hatsuko reached a door that lead to a small courtyard in front of the preliminary fighting area.

_Perfect, _she confirmed. In one fluid movement, she lowered her body down into the grass. Her legs were crossed and her arms rested on either knee with her palms facing the sky. Inside her chest she summoned her chi to come forth, to lift her stiff body into the air. There she hovered, waiting for the other fighters to arrive.

* * *

**Darkness…**

**Darkness still…**

**Then, a thick fog of gray. **

**Rumbles of thunder sound in the distance. With every breath, they crescendo. A pulsating force of heat and pressure accompanies each one. The sky bleeds red. Lightening rips through the sky and illuminates the cloud. A deep, throaty laughter begins. **

**Eyes. Piercing red eyes appear in the fog. They bring with them a menacing presence that further adds to the unbearable pressure in the atmosphere. The laughter continues, and reaches a new height of volume. **

**Gradually his face appears: harshly chiseled with pronounced cheek bones and a hooked nose. The skin's scaly texture becomes refined. A heavy brow is crowned by a pair of protruding antennae that move with the surrounding air. The bald head pulses with thick veins full of boiling blood. As the face of evil becomes clear, he parts his lips to reveal rows of sharp, white teeth. His mouth rises to one side in a devastating smirk. **

_**"Time to die…"**_

* * *

The junior division matches proved to be more entertaining than exciting for Son Goku and his group of friends. Trunks and Goten were the two finalists, naturally. Their match gave the crowd something to ponder as it displayed many super-human feats such as flying and chi blasts. Trunks came out of the match as the victor, causing his mother Bulma to scream loudly enough for everyone to hear. Vegeta raised a corner of his mouth into a cocky smile.

_That's the way it's done, Trunks. You see, Kakarrot? My blood is indeed stronger than yours._

After all the post-match celebrations, the adult contestants made their way to the preliminary area. Goku, Gohan, and Vegeta were all full from the meal they had inhaled in Trunks' honor. They felt refreshed and fully prepared to fight whatever opponent they were assigned.

"Wow, I've never seen someone eat so much in my entire life," Videl said to 18 as they followed the Saiyans. The blonde cyborg blinked her slender blue eyes once and continued to look straight ahead. Videl's face flushed in embarrassment. Before she could say anything else, Krillin intervened.

"Yeah, that's always how they eat, especially when they're together like that. I think they try and out-gorge each other!" he chuckled delightfully. Videl responded by giggling uncomfortably. It seemed that Krillin's cheerful attitude canceled out his wife's ice cold one.

Piccolo's mind was clear. He had to keep a level head if he was to even place in this tournament. His competition had gotten much tougher since the last time he had participated. Not only would he have to worry about Goku, but Vegeta and Gohan as well. His former student's power had far exceeded his own. He would have to fight his hardest today in order to prove himself as a warrior. There was no room for restraint against those three.

In the courtyard, Hatsuko's eyes snapped open. Their pupils shrank quickly in response to the intense influx of sunlight. She inhaled deeply, remembering where she was. Her skin was covered in a layer of sweat, and her hair was beginning to stick to her neck. After a moment of recollection, she sighed heavily and let her eyelids fall.

_Soon it will be all over…Right now I just need to get through these damned preliminaries. _Her chi flared upwards, out of her body to wrap itself around the cloth bandages that bound her forearms. The bandages loosened themselves and followed the current of energy that caused her hair to blow away from her face as it shot straight up in the air. Hatsuko maneuvered her chi with her mind to make the bandages loop themselves around her hair to form a messy pony tail, leaving a few wayward strands to frame her face. A fighter who had seen Hatsuko's display of telekinesis stood his ground with his jaw hanging open. He dropped the twenty pound weights he had been lifting on his feet and let out a pathetic cry of pain.

_Amateur,_ she thought as she got up and walked past him. Her throat burned with thirst as she entered the indoor arena.

_I need to get some water. _Hatsuko made her way over to a nearby water fountain, when she felt it. A heavy force hit her like a brick wall. _He's here too. _She frowned, but did not search him out. The Demon King was going to be here and she needed to deal with him, but not now. She bent down and spread her lips to admit a cool stream of water to soothe her hot throat. She felt eyes on her.

Krillin nudged Gohan's side with his elbow.

"Say, Gohan, isn't she that girl from before who got Vegeta all mad?" he asked as he studied her appearance.

"Yeah, it is. Piccolo didn't seem to like her either. I asked him about it before we ate but he didn't wanna tell me what his problem was. I don't see what the big deal is; she doesn't seem all that bad to me," Gohan replied. He tried to keep his voice down so Videl would not hear him and get the wrong idea.

Piccolo's pointed ears twitched as he listened to Krillin and Gohan's conversation. He had his back up against a wall with his arms crossed again. His eyes followed the girl. She finished drinking and began to make her way to the opposite side of the room where there was an empty corner.

_Why can't I feel your chi? Can it be that you're dead? No…that's impossible. No dead soul can be visible in this plane without a halo. It doesn't make any sense. _These questions swam around in his mind as he watched her every movement. She looked around for a moment at the fighters around her. Suddenly, she extended both of her arms above her head and swooped down towards the floor. She gracefully pulled her legs upwards to where her arms originally were. She held her simple handstand only for a few seconds. Then, she removed one hand from beneath her and pointed it so that it was parallel to the floor. She began to do push-ups with only her right arm to support her.

Piccolo scrutinized her posture. It was perfect. Her body was a rigid line. Her toes, which were covered in faded suede black boots, were pointed towards the ceiling in a practiced position. The thumb of her left hand was tucked into her palm while her other fingers were molded together as they pointed straight outward. He counted three hundred push-ups before she switched to her other arm.

_What an odd human, _Piccolo commented to himself. He suddenly noticed he had been found out. The girl's eyes were on him. She did not look happy at all. In fact, she seemed angry. Piccolo averted his gaze and instead directed it to the fighting ring in front of him. Two participants were punching each other ferociously. One of them was a broad boned man with a mustache. He was balding on top of his head but the hair he had left was pulled downwards into a long pony tail. He landed the finishing blow to his opponent's temple. The moderator counted to ten and announced the balding man as the victor.

"Now, number 21 and number 66 please come up! Number 21 and 66!" the moderator tried his hardest to project over the noise of the arena. Piccolo uncrossed his arms and made his way towards the ring.

"Good luck, Piccolo!" Gohan said while giving Piccolo a thumbs-up. Piccolo faced Gohan and returned his smile.

"Thanks, kid, but I'm sure I'll be fine," he replied with a note of confidence in his deep voice. His opponent would probably die if he took even an eighth of Piccolo's full power head-on. There was nothing to worry about.

_Preliminaries are such a waste of time, _he thought. He made his way onto the platform and faced fighter number 21. A bulky mass of muscle stood in front of him with a head full of spiky orange hair. The man had on red boxing shorts and no shirt. To finish his look, he sported a pair of boxing gloves and knee-high socks with blue trim. His face was square and his teeth were covered by a mouth guard, which was orange like his head.

"Nice, outfit, pal!" the boxer taunted.

Piccolo could not help but break into a broad grin.

_Idiot,_ he thought. The moderator signaled for the match to begin. In a flash, Piccolo vanished. His opponent stood, dazed. Piccolo reappeared behind the fighter and punched him lightly in the back. A flash of red and orange shot across the room, giving Piccolo a win by ring-out. Piccolo glanced over at the moderator. The little man's face glistened with sweat and his teeth were clenched tightly together.

Hatsuko had finished her push-ups in time to examine Piccolo's fighting style, or in this case, lack thereof.

_His strength is unbelievable. I want to see him fight someone who gives him some real competition, though,_ she thought as her eyes followed Piccolo off the platform. _And his armor is weighted…he'll be much faster without it. _She noticed that his cape was draped over heavy shoulder pads that stuck out far beyond his body. _It's gotta be at least one hundred pounds. _Hatsuko suddenly realized her number was being called.

"Number 29?!" the moderator called for the third time. In response, Hatsuko swiftly ran and jumped onto the platform. She noticed that her opponent was even less of a threat than the boxer from the previous match. She sighed heavily and walked towards him. He was about her height. His head was that of a tiger and he was covered in a sand colored fur. His sharp canine teeth dripped saliva as he growled at her. When she reached him, Hatsuko bowed deeply. He seemed taken aback. Then, when she straightened out of the bow, he burst into a throaty laugh.

"Don't even bother, Sweet-cheeks! This'll be over super fast so you'll have all the time in the world to do your yoga!" He was gripping his sides and swaying from laughing so hard. His cronies behind him in the crowd joined him in his hysterical fit. But before he knew it, something hard hit him square in the jaw. A loud crack echoed off the walls of the arena and interrupted the roaring laughter. In one motion, Hatsuko had collided her foot with the tiger's snout. She stood poised in the end position of her kick with her right leg outstretched, perfectly parallel to the floor with her toes pointed. A loud gasp sounded from her opponent's friends. An ambulance siren wailed outside.

"Wait," Hatsuko said sternly to the fighters beginning to crowd the tiger. She leapt off the ring to kneel at his side.

Piccolo watched her closely as she put her hand on the cat's shoulder, and lowered her head to his. She seemingly whispered something in his ear. After a long moment, she parted from him and went back to where she had been doing push-ups. The tiger refused medical attention and claimed he was fine. Piccolo watched as he wiped away a thick smear of blood from his mouth.

_What…is she?_


	4. The Drawing

Chapter 4: The Drawing

The sun approached the very top of the blue sky as the morning came to a close. All the preliminary matches were finished and the finalists had been weeded out of the crowd. The announcer appeared in the middle of the indoor arena before the 16 final fighters.

"Congratulations to you all for making it to the finals!" His voice projected off of the walls clearly. "Please come to the drawing area in thirty minutes time so you can be matched with an opponent. See you then!" He left the arena and headed towards the locker rooms with the rest of the moderators.

Son Goku and his party chatted excitedly, speculating about who their opponents might be. The rest of the 16 finalists went in opposite directions. Hatsuko remained in the corner with her head bowed. She needed to meditate again. The pressure from Piccolo Daimao's chi was crushing hers. For every moment she stayed in the same room as him, she lost more and more control over her energy. Her heart thumped noisily in her breast.

_I need to get out of here, _she thought suddenly. In a flash, she departed.

She walked over to a tree in the middle of the courtyard where she had meditated earlier. Unfortunately, the sun was too high to allow the tree to give off any decent shade.

_I guess I'll make due. I'm bound to work up a sweat later, anyway. At least my chi is stable again… _Hatsuko concentrated on clearing her mind of any more petty thoughts. She sat down, crossed her legs, and lifted herself off of the grass. Her lungs expelled a gust of hot air. Then, she drifted…drifted into nothing…

* * *

**Blue.**

**Green.**

**Yellow.**

**Pink.**

**The colors swirl together seamlessly like a watercolor painting. Each color gives off its own sweet note. The pattern of movement yields a song. This song is familiar and safe. **

**When the song ends, darkness envelops the color. **

**Darkness…**

**Heavy energy begins to descend. The air turns into sludge. His face returns, with teeth bared and his mouth in a twisted smile. He begins to laugh uncontrollably. His deep voice ripples his energy outward, causing a suffocating effect. Then, he stops. His face begins to melt. It falls downward in gobs of green, revealing another face beneath. This face is more angular, young, and handsome. It is still the same horrible chi. Even worse, this new face has a sinister quality. It seeks vengeance. It wishes to inflict pain. Then, it disappears. **

**In its place, a large ape-like head appears with its mouth open wide, revealing long fangs. It lunges forward and roars ferociously. **

**The bleeding begins. A perfectly round gaping hole appears in your torso. Blood oozes out in every direction, giving off a metallic scent. The scent chokes you and causes you to cough up more blood. **

**You drown…**

* * *

Hatsuko gasped.

_What the hell?!_

A sharp pain erupted from her tailbone as she landed on it. Her head was pounding and her heart was racing. She grabbed a fistful of hair as she panted heavily.

_Ugh…I haven't had one of those visions in months. I thought they stopped when I made the decision to come to this damned tournament! How am I supposed to keep my composure with my mind and spirit so cloudy?! _Hatsuko tried to silence her thoughts so she could calm herself. She involuntarily probed her midsection. No wound.

"All finalists please report to the drawing area now," announced the speakers. Hatsuko obeyed.

The other 15 fighters were already assembled when Hatsuko arrived. She moaned when she felt the heaviness again.

_Just what I need_, she thought reluctantly.

"Alright, everyone, let's get the drawing started!" the announcer exclaimed. His assistant stood by with a marker in his hand. The white board behind them had 16 slots waiting to be filled.

"Krillin, you're up!" he called. Krillin strutted forward in response. Gohan watched him and smiled to himself. He noticed that Krillin had become more confident since he married 18. Gohan reminisced about the long amount of time he and Krillin spent with each other on their journey to planet Namek, Piccolo's place of origin, when he was a boy.

_He's come such a long way as a fighter...but he's still got that same grin plastered on his face, _Gohan thought happily.

Krillin rummaged through the box that contained the number balls. Finally, he pulled one out and showed it to the announcer who smiled.

"Number 1! Nice way to start things off! By the way, man, I like what you've done to your hair."

Krillin chuckled and thanked the announcer for the compliment. He had grown his hair out ever since his daughter was born. He thought it made him look more mature. He returned to Goku's side.

The next person to be called was Vegeta. The prince had been keeping to himself ever since the fighting had begun. His demeanor insisted that he was quite serious about his performance in the tournament.

The announcer stated that Vegeta was number 10. As Vegeta returned to the wall he had been sitting up against, he looked over at Hatsuko and cocked an eyebrow. She seemed to be exhausted. Her posture was sloppy and her arms were crossed. She was shaking slightly. Whatever her problem was, he hoped she would get over it soon. He wanted desperately to punish her for the disrespect she had shown him at the registration desk.

Piccolo was watching Hatsuko too and noticed the same change in her body language that Vegeta had. He continued to try to read her energy while other names were being called to draw numbers. Several minutes passed and half the slots were already filled on the board.

"Hatsuko?" the announcer called with a note of curiosity in his voice. He had never heard this name before. It was unusual for him to come across an unfamiliar name in the final round. The finalists in the Tenkaichi Budokai had traditionally been either well known or alumni of the tournament itself.

Piccolo tensed as the girl began to walk uneasily toward the announcer. All of her grace from the preliminaries was gone. She was a wreck.

_So…her name is Hatsuko. I wonder why she's burnt out all of the sudden…_ Piccolo felt uneasy. This Hatsuko girl was worrying him. She was obviously strong, but he could not tell just how strong she was. The only way he could analyze her strength was by looking at her appearance and reading her movements. If her movements were weaker now, was she weaker in strength as well? Why was her energy still unreadable? Piccolo growled to himself in frustration.

_This is ridiculous. I need to forget this and concentrate. _

Hatsuko's name was put in the third slot. After the announcer whispered something to his assistant he waved his hand in the air.

"Mr. Satan is unavailable to draw for himself at the moment, so I will do the honors of choosing for him," he clarified. No one seemed to be interested. Goku and his friends, save for Videl, knew that Satan was a poser. He was no stronger than any other wrestler. However, his marketing abilities were phenomenal. The whole world was eating out of the palm of his hand.

After Satan's name made the board, Ma Junior was called forward. Piccolo approached the box and put his large hand in it.

"So, you and Son Goku are friends now, huh? What a relief!" the announcer murmured to Piccolo. Piccolo smiled at him and presented him with the "6" ball. It had been many years ago that Piccolo had tried to kill Goku at this very tournament. He noticed even himself that his return as an ally of Goku's was a bit surprising. He felt Hatsuko's eyes on him as he walked back to stand beside Gohan and Goku. Once the tournament began, he would finally see what she was capable of.

Within ten minutes, all the fighters' names were on the board.

Match 1: Krillin vs. Jeeten

Match 2: Hatsuko vs. Number 18

Match 3: Onpu vs. Ma Junior

Match 4: Gohan vs. Hyourin

Match 5: Hashi vs. Vegeta

Match 6: Mr. Satan vs. Kuchi

Match 7: Goku vs. Bashu

Match 8: Shinjo vs. Videl

"Well, then! It seems we have everyone up on the board! The matches will commence immediately. Please follow my assistant into the waiting room. He will brief you on the rules once more and I will see you out on stage. Good luck to you all!" The announcer bowed to the fighters and left.


	5. Krillin vs Jeeten

Chapter 5: Krillin vs. Jeeten

Note: 狼 = "ookami" or "wolf"

Hatsuko bit her tongue gently as she neared the end of the sonata she was playing. The last note hung in the air. She closed her eyes and listened to it intently.

"Perfect!"

A woman with violet hair and hazel eyes clapped her hands enthusiastically. She got up from the couch she had been sitting on to put her hands on Hatsuko's shoulders.

"Sweetie, you did wonderfully. I think we can finally move on to the harder piece that you've wanted to play. Now, how about you go outside and help your dad with his work, hmm?" The woman kissed the top of Hatsuko's head before she watched the little girl run excitedly out of the house.

_My, it's hard to believe it's been eight years since we found her. I can't even dare to think of what life was like before then… _

"Father?!" Hatsuko called into the front yard. She looked up into the sky.

_It's almost three. He's probably down by the pond,_ she decided. Her skirt ruffled out behind her as she ran into the nearby wood. The air became unbearably humid as she approached a small clearing. Within the clearing was a pond that eventually led to wetlands further east. She stopped at the bank and gazed into the water. A frog was nestled in the mud just beneath the surface. Hatsuko knelt down to touch it when she heard a familiar raspy voice.

"Hon, don't touch that. You'll get warts."

Hatsuko turned to her father with a playful look on her angelic face.

"Oh, Father, you told me yourself that was an old wives' tale," she teased.

"I did? Well that makes sense since your mother tells it to me all the time," he replied with a grin. His mouth was mostly covered by a bristly gray mustache. He wore filthy rain gear and an old hat with 狼 written on the front of it. He motioned for Hatsuko to grab some of the things he was carrying. She was much stronger than he was, so she took the burden of carrying a sack full of rocks up to the house for him.

When the pair returned, Hatsuko's mother had dinner waiting for them. Her father removed his muddy rain gear and his hat, revealing a full head of shaggy gray hair. He and Hatsuko sat down at the table with hefty appetites. Hatsuko had been practicing the piano all day and had not eaten anything since breakfast while her father had been probing around in the marshlands and had not eaten anything at all.

"Well, you two worked very hard today. Go ahead and dig in. I have plenty more if you want it," Hatsuko's mother insisted as she watched her family devour the meal she had cooked.

"So…Dear, what did you find out in the forest today…anything interesting?"

Hatsuko's father swallowed a mouthful of bread and answered his wife.

"As a matter of fact, I found nothing interesting…yet. I gathered many types of rocks from the wetlands that I have to investigate for bacteria," he said before digging into a bowl of rice.

"Father, I'll help you if you need. I want to document the bacteria I discovered last week. I forgot to write a report for them." Hatsuko had been helping her father in his lab for as long as she could remember. Sometimes, when she made an important discovery, he would allow her to contribute her findings in one of his articles that he submitted to a monthly science journal.

"Like father, like daughter," said Hatsuko's mother adoringly. "I always knew you would take after the two of us. You're growing up to be a fine young lady, Sweetie."

"But, Mom…how could you say that? I'm not related to you guys."

Hatsuko's mother dropped her fork in disbelief.

"Sw-Sweetie…how…how did you know?" her voice trailed off as she looked at her daughter worriedly. _I didn't think she would catch on at such an early age…I was waiting to tell her on her tenth birthday. Oh no, what will she think of us?!_

"Momma, it's kind of obvious, isn't it? If I was really your daughter, I'd have purple hair like yours!" Hatsuko said with a smile. Ever since she learned about inheritance and genetics at age four, Hatsuko had known that she was adopted.

Hatsuko's mother sat in her chair, speechless. She turned towards her husband with her mouth hanging open slightly. He returned her blank stare, and then burst into a fit of laughter. His raspy tenor voice filled the tiny house, and then took a hold of his wife as well. Soon, all three of them were in hysterics. Hatsuko wiped away a stream of tears from her face.

"Oh, Hon, we love you so much…you know that right?" her father asked between chuckles while clenching his gut.

"Haha, yeah, Dad. I know…"

* * *

"Hi, there! My name's Krillin. It's a pleasure to be able to fight you today!" Krillin extended his hand towards a boy half his age. His opponent was tall and lanky with a mop of untidy black hair that covered his eyes. The boy was wearing a strange jumpsuit with matching gloves and boots. He snorted and took Krillin's hand.

"Hey, I'm Jeeten. I'm the youngest fighter to make it to the finals, so you might wanna watch yourself, Old Man," he warned. He was trying to be as sincere and helpful as possible, but his tone gave off a different impression. Krillin raised an eyebrow at him and grunted. Their handshake was quickly terminated. He turned toward Goku.

"I told myself I wasn't gonna hurt this kid too badly, but I think I just might slip," he murmured. Goku laughed and put his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Come on, Krillin. This match is a gift. Plus, you'll need to save your energy for later when you fight one of us. I want you to give us your all," Goku said. He and Krillin had been through many Tenkaichi Budokais together and he wanted this one to be memorable, since it might be Krillin's last.

"Haha, alright, Buddy. You got it," Krillin reassured him.

"Hello, fans!" boomed the announcer from the stadium. A roar of applause sounded in response. "Welcome to the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai! The finals are now about to begin! Give a great big round of applause for the fighters of our first match—Krillin and Jeeten!!" The crowd became so loud that Krillin could hardly hear his wife's wishes of good luck. He kissed her on the cheek and made his way into the stadium. Jeeten followed awkwardly behind.

Hatsuko sat in the corner furthest away from the other fighters, intent on controlling her chi.

_Luckily, I'm in the second fight. I won't have to wait long until I can get out of this stuffy waiting room…_

She sat cross-legged with her arms at her sides and her hands touching the cold concrete floor. Her eyes had been closed, but she felt someone staring at her. She opened her eyes too quickly to prepare herself from reacting. Piccolo was watching her and he was taking no action to hide it. When she locked her gaze with his, her heart skipped a beat and then began to race. She felt something inside her burst as her energy flared out of her. Within a fraction of a second, she was composed again. She shut her eyes and began to meditate again as if nothing happened.

Piccolo's eyes bulged.

_I felt it! Her chi flared just then…I knew she wasn't dead! But it's gone now…What happened?_ He waited for her energy to become readable again, but to no avail. Still, he kept his eyes on her and watched her meditate.

Try as she may, Hatsuko's mind kept filling itself with panic.

_Damn it all! Why did I let myself lose my cool like that?! It's his chi! It's unbearable!_

A shuffling of feet suddenly sounded in Hatsuko's ears. Someone was approaching her.

"Hey, so, you're name's Hatsuko, right?"

Hatsuko reluctantly opened her eyes and looked up. A well-built, medium-height fighter stood before her. His eyes sparkled. He had dirty blonde hair that was tied into a low-swung pony tail. His outfit was well pressed and vibrant in color. He had definitely invested in it just before the tournament. He smiled at Hatsuko as he took a seat beside her.

"So, are you excited for your match? I'm sure you'll win. I mean, I hope you do so that I get to fight you later," he said in a low pitch. He was practically whispering in Hatsuko's ear. She stuck out her lower lip as she tried to think of something to say to him.

"Yeah…" was all she could think of. An uncomfortable silence passed between them. The fighter rested one of his muscular arms on his knee.

"My name's Onpu. I'm fighting in the match after you. I decided to come over and introduce myself. You're too pretty not to talk to, you know." Onpu raised an eyebrow at Hatsuko, expecting her to feed into his flirting. Instead, she grimaced in annoyance.

"I'm sorry but I have to be alone right now. I have to prepare for my fight. Goodbye," she said tersely. Taken aback, Onpu grunted and left her alone.

Piccolo had eavesdropped on their entire conversation. He had finally heard her speak at a close range. Her voice was a soft, level tone that was neither too high nor too low. It was soothing to his highly sensitive ears. He suddenly heard Onpu at work again. This time, he tried to sweet talk Number 18.

"So, are you and that short guy actually together, or are you just playing with him? I know you could do a lot better if you tried, babe."

_Humans are so disgusting,_ Piccolo thought angrily. He would secretly enjoy emasculating this guy during their match.

Hatsuko had finally leveled herself when she was suddenly brought out of her trance by a loud slap. She looked around to see Onpu holding his jaw and choking back tears. The blonde woman who called herself Number 18 was walking away from him with her hands tucked into her jean pockets.

_Serves him right,_ Hatsuko thought.

Outside in the ring, the first fight had begun. Krillin was having an easy time dodging Jeeten's punches and kicks. He avoided attacking Jeeten for the beginning of the match so he wouldn't look too ruthless. After five minutes, Krillin decided to start fighting back. He blocked a kick from Jeeten and responded with a punch to the face. Jeeten went flying backward and fell on his bottom. He got up and stared at his opponent in shock.

_Oh no. He's been toying with me all this time. This won't end so soon…I still have my signature move! I will not go down without a fight!!_ Jeeten got up and brushed himself clean. With a determined look, he took his preparatory fighting stance. His legs were bent at 45 degree angles from the ground, spread completely apart. He straightened one arm in front of him and the other pointed straight behind him, while his torso faced forward. He pulled the corners of his mouth down in a concentrated frown. Krillin stood his ground, unable to decide what to do.

Jeeten then let out a war cry that sounded like a hyena calling his pack to a carcass. His arms rotated around, moving in perfect circular motions. He increased the speed and then increased it more. Before Krillin could think of a counterattack, Jeeten was barreling forward, running at an incredible speed. Krillin was too late to get out of the way. Before he could escape, Jeeten's cycling arms collided with his face. Krillin grabbed the place where his nose should be and let out a wail of pain.

"Ow!!! What the hell?!"

Jeeten struck his fighting pose again and puffed out his limp chest.

"I call that the Bicycle Blade," he said with a tough edge to his voice. "You want some more, Gramps?"

Krillin yelled loudly as he charged Jeeten. He disappeared and reappeared behind his opponent and then unleashed a fierce blow to his back. The boy went soaring through the air and landed face-first onto the floor of the ring.

"Uh…1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10! The match goes to Krillin!" the announcer exclaimed. The crowd cheered joyously as Krillin bowed to them. He gave the announcer a thumbs-up and made his way off the stage and back to the waiting room.

"Nice work, Krillin," Goku congratulated. Krillin chuckled and thanked him.

Hatsuko stood up and stretched out her legs.

_Alright…I'm up next. I just need to keep my cool and win this so I can fight that green demon. Hopefully Number 18 isn't as strong as I think she is…_ Hatsuko eyed her opponent nervously.

As Hatsuko concentrated on the match, Piccolo concentrated on her. He was anxious to find out just how strong she really was. Now that he had felt her chi, he wanted to feel it again. She was quite unlike any human he had ever come across. 18 was a strong adversary, and he knew how difficult she was to fight from experience. Her chi was also unreadable since it was not purely organic spirit energy. This match would not be easy to follow, but he relished the challenge.


	6. Hatsuko vs Number 18

Chapter 6: Hatsuko vs. Number 18

Hatsuko began to walk towards the exit of the waiting room in anticipation of the next match. Number 18 followed closely behind after receiving a 'good luck' from Krillin. The two women said nothing to one another.

"Now this is a match I'm excited to see! Two hot girls duking it out…doesn't get any better than that, does it?" Onpu asked loudly while nudging a nearby fighter in the shoulder. The fighter he was addressing seemed agitated.

"Young man, you need to learn some manners!" the fighter scolded in a booming voice. Upon hearing her speak, Onpu swallowed hard. He had assumed this person was a man, when in fact, he suddenly realized he was horribly mistaken. His face burned a bright crimson as he bowed apologetically.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, Ma'am! It was just a joke! I'm sorry if I offended you!" he jabbered. The rotund woman let out a noise of disgust and headed towards the opposite side of the room. Onpu sat down against a wall and said nothing more.

"Alright, folks, are you ready for the second match?!" the announcer chimed. The audience responded by cheering just as enthusiastically as they had at 7 o'clock that morning. "Sounds good enough to me! Here are our next two fighters: Hatsuko and Ms. Number 18!"

Hatsuko and 18 stepped onto the platform side by side. Hatsuko concentrated on keeping her mind free of distraction, which was hard to do since she was well aware of Piccolo's stare. The announcer waited for the two fighters to bow to each other and then pointed his finger high above his head.

"Readyyyyy!! Fight!!"

Just as the announcer closed his mouth, the crowd roared with excitement. 18 and Hatsuko stared each other down, waiting for the other to make the first move.

* * *

In his room, Mr. Satan sipped an iced coffee delicately. He was reclined in a luxurious leather chair with his eyes on a flat screen TV monitor in front of him. When the camera did close-ups of the two women fighters, Satan spat out his coffee.

"Woww!! I'm glad I stayed in here! This is one fight that I need close-ups for! Hehehe…"

* * *

Hatsuko searched for 18's chi to no avail. She examined her body and her stance.

_That's what I thought…_

18 suddenly rushed Hatsuko at top speed. Just as 18 was about to collide with her, Hatsuko vanished. The crowd gasped. Hatsuko appeared in mid-air as she did a back flip and landed behind 18. 18 turned towards her opponent and stood still.

_She's faster than I expected. I'm going to have to force her to go on the offensive so I can prepare myself better, _she thought. Hatsuko understood what was happening almost immediately, so she rushed forward in controlled spurts of speed. She vanished again and reappeared above 18. Her leg swung into 18's arm. Immediately after the block, 18 landed a swift punch that met with air. Hatsuko had flipped again and kicked 18 in her side, sending her flying in a straight line towards the edge of the ring.

_What speed…_ thought Piccolo as he watched in awe. Hatsuko's movements were broad and covered vast space, and yet she performed them quickly enough so that they did not hinder her.

Number 18 recovered quickly and sped in midair towards Hatsuko. She threw several kicks at her opponent that were blocked easily. Hatsuko rebutted with kicks from all directions. She changed position so quickly that 18 became disoriented. 18 received several blows to her core before she shot straight up into the air and retreated.

_I didn't think I'd have to use my energy but it looks like I have no choice…this girl is way too fast for me. I just hope I don't hit the spectators…_ thought 18 as she raised her hand into the air. A white ball of energy collected inside of her palm instantly. Hatsuko's eyes widened as she braced herself. 18 sent the ball hurtling through the air. Hatsuko knew that she could not merely dodge the attack;she would have to deflect it so that no one else would get hit. She confidently stuck her hand out in front of her, locking her elbow. The blast collided and exploded in a flash of light. When the energy dissipated, Hatsuko was nowhere to be found.

_Where did she go?! _thought 18 in a panic. She whipped her head around several times, but saw nothing. The crowd murmured in confusion.

Back in the waiting room, Piccolo desperately tried to sense Hatsuko's chi. He felt nothing and was beginning to wonder if she had left the stadium.

Suddenly, an overwhelming force ripped through the air. Piccolo's eyes shot open as he felt Hatsuko's presence in its fullest form yet.

_Woah! What power! Her chi flared from nothing to this? Impossible!_

Just as Piccolo finished his thought, Hatsuko materialized behind 18. She swung her body around from its twisted position into a powerful kick that sent 18 hurtling through the air. When she recovered, 18 rushed her opponent head on. The two fighters met in midair and began to viciously throw attacks at each other. Their movements were a blur to the Z fighters, and all but invisible to the audience.

"I don't know about you folks, but this match is almost impossible to follow! All I know is, whenever we do see something, it's pretty spectacular!" the announcer commented awkwardly. The crowd stayed silent as they attempted to watch what they could not see.

The attacks subsided when a blinding white light burst upwards towards the sun. 18's blast had hit its target. Hatsuko skidded across the floor of the ring. When she came to a halt, she recovered and morphed her body into a low crouch. She held her composure as 18 charged again. Hatsuko's speed was no longer a secret. Now every bit of time she had to plan her movements was cut shorter. She waited until 18's nose almost touched her own, then swiftly hurled herself into the air with one hand. 18 followed her as soon as she realized what had happened.

As she pursued Hatsuko, 18 threw small chi blasts at her.

_I guess since she isn't shooting energy back, she doesn't know how to. That's unfortunate for her, because my energy is unlimited,_ thought the cyborg haughtily. Hatsuko deflected the blasts erratically. One went zooming past 18 and headed straight for the crowd. She turned to look to where it was headed and realized it was about to hit the section where her daughter was sitting.

"Oh no! Marron!!" Number 18 gasped as she sent a chi blast through the air that collided with the first one, causing the two to explode just yards away from the crowd. Cries of fear sounded throughout the stadium. The announcer was running around frantically down below.

Those few seconds of distraction were all Hatsuko needed. She had reached 18 and positioned herself mid-rush so her torso was twisted to entrap her opponent with her legs. One leg swung over 18's head while the other remained on the opposite side of her body; both of them were rigidly straight.

"Shiza-katto…HAH!" Hatsuko yelled as she pulled the bottom half of her body back into alignment with her top half. This forceful process caused her legs to hit the back of 18's legs and her neck simultaneously. A loud crunching sound echoed off the walls of the stadium. The audience hushed as they watched the blonde fighter fall to the ground. Hatsuko flipped in midair and landed on her feet nimbly. The announcer stood in disbelief at the edge of the ring.

Hatsuko glared at him.

"Oh…right! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8…9…10! Hatsuko is the winner!" he called. The crowd applauded uneasily.

_She should still be okay…_ Hatsuko thought as she approached her opponent. She knelt down beside her and put her index and middle fingers to her throat.

_There's still a pulse. _She spread out her hand and wrapped her fingers around 18's neck.

_What is going on?_ Piccolo thought anxiously as he tried to make sense of what Hatsuko was doing. _Is she trying to strangle her?_

"Hey, what the hell's going on?! What does she think she's doing?!" Krillin yelled frantically.

"I don't know…this match has been so weird…" Goku answered as he stared blankly at the two fighters.

18's eyes opened slowly. She felt Hatsuko's grip on her neck loosen. Hatsuko bent down and put her mouth to 18's ear.

"You're gonna be fine. You fought very well. Send Dr. Gero my regards."

Hatsuko got up and left 18. She walked into the waiting room and immediately approached Krillin.

"You and your wife are extraordinary fighters. You should be very proud." She ended her compliment with a deep bow. When she straightened up, she saw Piccolo staring at her with his teeth clenched.

_Demon…_ she thought angrily.

Piccolo's muscles tightened as Hatsuko's expression darkened in response to his. Her eyebrows pulled downwards, wrinkling her forehead. Her nostrils flared and her mouth straightened itself into a line. Her chi heightened in intensity. He felt its pull on his like the force of a magnet. A rose colored aura surrounded Hatsuko's body and pulsated around her like a heartbeat.


	7. Onpu vs Ma Junior

Chapter 7: Onpu vs. Ma Junior

Hatsuko's menacing glare at Piccolo quickly softened as the overbearing voice of the announcer sounded.

"Alright, let's not waste any time! On with the next match!! Please welcome Onpu and Ma Junior!" The audience was still recovering from the last match, so their applause was markedly less lively than before.

* * *

Mr. Satan sat up in his recliner. His television was still set to the tournament.

"Aw, man. I wish that last match had lasted longer. Those two girls were smokin'!" he said while stroking his mustache. His conversation with himself was interrupted by a soft knock on his door.

"Uh, Mr. Satan…I've been asked to inform you that you're scheduled to fight in three matches," a voice from behind the door said tentatively.

"Oh, well, thank you. I'll be out shortly." Satan turned back to the broadcast and reclined. _Luckily I don't have to fight any of these ridiculously strong freaks. I won't have to worry about that till later on._

* * *

Piccolo cleared his throat and walked rigidly towards the arena. Hatsuko was standing in his path, staring him down. He ignored her and instead fixed his eyes straight ahead. As he passed her, the rose-tinted aura dissipated.

"So, you're my opponent?" Onpu asked as he and Piccolo walked out of the waiting room together.

Piccolo did not respond. Instead, he pulled the corners of his mouth into a frown. So much was on his mind besides the tournament that he hardly noticed Onpu had said anything to him. Onpu noticed he was being ignored and furrowed his brow in annoyance.

"Fine, man. Have it your way," he said as he took his place in the ring. Piccolo turned to his opponent and a bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face.

_I can't understand why she is so angry. She appears to have some vendetta against me for no reason whatsoever. _

"Hey, Bug Man! Are you gonna fight me or what?!" Onpu called across the way. "Damn, I really wish I got that Hatsuko girl as my opponent. At least then I could look forward to touching her…this guy is nasty lookin'." Onpu was muttering under his breath, out of human earshot.

Piccolo's ears twitched as he soaked in Onpu's voice. He exposed his sharp teeth and a growl ripped through his chest.

"I'll show you nasty, you pathetic human!" Piccolo roared. He swiftly rushed his opponent and unleashed his fist onto Onpu's face. The young fighter hurtled through the air and landed inches away from the edge of the platform. He gasped for air as he forced himself off of the ground. He wiped a smudge of blood from his nose with his trembling hand and looked up to face Piccolo.

_This guy is a lot tougher than he looks…_ he thought as a shooting pain went through his head. Onpu got onto his feet and struck a fighting stance. He narrowed his eyelids as he watched his adversary intently.

Piccolo was still outraged by Onpu's arrogant remarks, but tried desperately to keep his composure. The sight of the young human wiping blood from his face made Piccolo realize that he was not fighting one of his comrades; he needed to restrain himself from losing him temper and killing this guy.

"Why aren't you attacking me now, Bug Man?" Onpu taunted, "Are you worried I'll win? I guess you're trying out a new strategy…killing by looks alone! Hahaha!" Onpu laughed at his distasteful, unfunny joke.

_If I can get this guy mad enough, he'll start blindly attacking me. I'm sure I'll gain the upper hand if he's freaking out._ Onpu decided to put his plan further into action.

"If you want, I'll attack first. I don't wanna put too much pressure on your pea brain. Don't worry, man, it's not your fault. Not all species can have big brains like us humuggghhh—"

Piccolo's hand interrupted Onpu's insults by closing around his throat. He was passed the point of self control.

Hatsuko's jaw dropped. She watched as Piccolo hurled Onpu into the stadium floor, causing several concrete tiles to shatter. Instead of leaving his opponent in the hole he had created, Piccolo tightened his grip on Onpu's neck and punched him in his stomach.

Onpu's breath rushed out of him. He gagged loudly as he fought to inhale.

"Just as I thought…you're all talk," Piccolo said smoothly. He dropped Onpu carelessly and left the ring without a backwards glance. The announcer stood in shock while almost losing his grip on his microphone.

"Uh—It seems as though Onpu is out cold. No need to count, someone call a medic!" he commanded to his assistants. He declared Ma Junior as the victor. For the most part, the crowd withheld their cheers, save for a few groups of intoxicated men.

Piccolo stormed into the waiting room and avoided everyone's concerned looks. He sat down against a wall and closed his eyes. Hatsuko stared at Onpu, appalled. She restrained herself from running to him. The sight of his beaten body lying in pools of blood made her skin crawl.

_This is worse than I feared…he's a monster!_

"Alright, sorry for the delay, folks! We'll be taking a 15 minute intermission for the medical squad to make their way over here!" the announcer called nervously. Onpu was being examined by the tournament moderators.

While they waited for the emergency squad to arrive, the fighters in the waiting room began to grow restless. One particular contestant who had been commenting on everything throughout the previous match had begun to have a one-way conversation with Vegeta.

"You know, one year at this tournament some three-eyed guy broke this kid's legs. It was almost as gruesome as this, if you can believe it. I was only a kid then myself and it scared the shit out of me, I tell ya. But, I'm here now regardless. That's what my training is all about, man. I just eat through the pain and fight through the pain. Sometimes, my training is so intense I feel like vomiting, but I just tell myself…"

_Good grief, does this guy ever shut the hell up? _Vegeta thought as he scowled in disgust. The oversized fighter who was speaking to him was dressed in traditional sumo apparel. Vegeta tried to ignore him.

On the other side of the room, a woman who appeared to be in her thirties was eyeing Gohan. She had bouncy short hair and silver eyes. Her lips formed a modest smile as she chewed gently on one of her well-manicured nails.

_That boy sure is cute,_ she thought deviously while she scanned Gohan's profile. She straightened up and approached him. Gohan was busy talking to Videl when the woman interrupted him.

"Hi, there. My name is Hyourin. I really like your outfit; you have to tell me who designed it."

Gohan opened his mouth in confusion. He obliged her so as not to appear rude.

"Oh, thank you. I had a friend of mine create it for me. Do you really like it? Every other adult I show it to says it looks ridiculous. I'm sure glad to meet someone that agrees with me!" Gohan cheerfully smiled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Videl eyed Hyourin and wrinkled her nose.

"Well, I don't know what anyone else has told you, but I have a knack for fashion. I assure you that my opinion can be trusted," Hyourin said. She playfully winked at Gohan, causing him to blush.

A vein in Piccolo's temple throbbed and put pressure against his turban.

_That woman is foolish. Anyone with proper eyesight can see that Gohan's outfit is ridiculous. _

Meanwhile, Vegeta's temple was about to burst from all the blood boiling in his veins. The sumo wrestler had relentlessly continued his rant about nothing.

"I mean, you look like a pretty built guy. That's good. I always get comments on how fat I am from people who don't know any better. What they don't realize is that my body fat conceals muscles that are just as big as yours, my friend. I'm sure you know that though. You seem like a smart guhhhh—WOAH! Back off there, pal!"

Vegeta cut the sumo's speech off as he lunged forward with his arms outstretched. Goku locked him in a full nelson just in time. Vegeta grunted as he tried to weedle out of Goku's iron grip.

"Kakarrot, let me go! I need…to…shut…him…UP!" Goku struggled to keep Vegeta calm, which became increasingly difficult every time the prince moved.

"I'm sorry, Sir. He's just a little high strung from all the stress of the tournament. He means you no harm," Goku assured the sumo. Goku's reassurance seemed to be enough for him, so he automatically smiled in response.

"Oh, it's no problem, my good man!" he chuckled. "I mean, we all get a little crazy sometimes, right? Sorry if I made you anxious, my friend. Don't you worry, though, from your looks I'd say you're a class A fighter! You should have no problem!" he said to Vegeta, who finally gave up on his attempt to murder the sumo. Goku let Vegeta out of his grasp and smiled at the sumo.

_Any type of ego boost, and Vegeta's happy as a clam,_ Goku thought as he grinned. Vegeta confirmed Goku's thoughts as he smugly told the sumo that he was right in his assumptions.

Hatsuko twitched her face in disgust. _Ugh…Saiyans are so hot-headed. _

The wail of an ambulance began to sound. Hatsuko turned her attention to the arena where she saw medical personnel lift Onpu onto a stretcher. When they left the stadium, Hatsuko got up and walked out of the waiting room into the connecting courtyard. Once outside, she lifted herself into the air with her chi and flew towards the direction of the sirens. She found the ambulence outside of the stadium parked alongside the curb. The medics hoisted the stretcher into the back of the vehicle and drove away. Hatsuko pursued them.

The emergency squad arrived at the hospital quickly. Hatsuko landed behind a tree and waited for them to wheel Onpu into the building before entering herself. She tracked Onpu's chi to the fourth floor where the crew left his stretcher as they went to alert a doctor of his arrival. Hatsuko walked up to him and put her hand on his forehead. He had been bandaged in the ambulance, but the bandages were already soaked through.

_What did he do to you? _

A wave of pity flooded her heart. Without hesitation, she placed her right hand gently onto Onpu's chest. She felt for her chi. Once she took control of it, she closed her eyes and let it seep from her core to Onpu's through her arm. As the energy entered his body, she molded it to his tissues. His flesh was deeply cut in several places. She concentrated on wrapping her chi around his broken ribs and facial bones. Onpu groaned in pain. Hatsuko took her hand off of his chest and bent her head down so both of their faces were level.

"Even though I despise you, I will avenge you," she promised.


	8. Gohan's Problem

Chapter 8: Gohan's Problem

"So, are you ready for our match together, Gohan? I sure am," giggled Hyourin. She had been waiting impatiently during the intermission for her turn to fight. Within those fifteen minutes she took advantage of every lapse in Gohan's conversation with Videl to compliment him.

_This old lady is really starting to annoy me. I hope Gohan beats her senseless…I know I would,_ thought Videl.

"Alright, folks! It appears that Onpu is recovering nicely at the hospital. Let's resume the fighting, shall we?" the announcer paused to allow the crowd to cheer. He was hoping for the next match to be less dangerous than the last two. "Please everyone give a round of applause for Hyourin and Gohan!"

Gohan smiled as he heard his name.

_Finally, _he thought. Videl touched his arm. He turned towards her and noticed she was looking up at him absorbedly.

"Good luck," she said in a whisper. Her tone of voice made Gohan blush, though he could not understand why. He laughed awkwardly and clapped her on the back much like he would to Goten.

"Thanks, Sport!" he said before speeding off into the stadium. Videl watched him run away and frowned in disappointment.

_I just sincerely wished him the best of luck in a match that he will definitely win! And he calls me "Sport"?! What a jerk!_

Hyourin took pleasure in Videl's displeased facial expression as she followed Gohan outside. She strutted confidently, catching the attention of every male audience member. Catcalls sounded from the crowd as she took her place in the arena. She put her hair behind her ear with her slender fingers and winked at Gohan again. He was sweating as his nerves got the best of him.

_I didn't see this woman fight in the preliminaries. I don't know what she's gonna do, but she sure is making me uncomfortable,_ he thought while swallowing a lump in his throat.

"I'm sure Gohan will have no problem winning this match, huh, Piccolo?" Goku asked in a lighthearted tone. When he received no reply from his comrade, his face fell a bit. Piccolo was standing next to him with his arms crossed intensely. He was tense and lost in thought as he stared at Gohan.

"Ready! Fight!" The announcer pointed a finger to the fighters and the crowd cheered excitedly.

Gohan tentatively struck a fighting stance. His brow quivered as he locked eyes with his opponent. Hyourin was resting her right hand on her hip and grinning devilishly.

"Well, Boy, are you going to fight me or what?" she invited. She flashed her teeth at him and laughed softly. "You go ahead and make the first move."

Gohan hesitated. _I don't want to hurt her…I should probably just try to knock her out of the ring by throwing light punches. _

His lungs inflated fast as he took a deep breath. He had to try with all his might to downplay his moves in order to deal the least amount of damage as possible. This was not an easy feat for a Saiyan. He rushed her slowly for his standards and stopped when he was no more than a few inches from her. As he was about to land a light blow to her shoulder, she blocked him and took a fistful of his collar into her free hand. Gohan's eyes widened as she pulled his face to hers and landed a big kiss on his lips. The whole stadium erupted with applause, gasps, and gossip. The announcer's arms stuck out at his sides as he was at a loss of what to say.

Gohan wiggled out of Hyourin's grasp and bounced backwards, his face a deep shade of scarlet.

"Whuh-What was that for?!" he gasped as he wiped his mouth with his forearm. His whole body was quaking. Hyourin began to laugh uncontrollably.

"Oh, don't be so coy now, Gohan. I told you I was looking forward to our match, and I sincerely meant it," she responded with a wink. She sprinted towards him as he stood in shock. When she closed the distance between them, she threw light blows at his neck, forcing him to block them. Then, she struck again. When Gohan's guard was down, Hyourin landed a peck on his cheek and made a quick escape. Gohan blushed again and stopped dead in his tracks.

_I have no idea what to do! I can't have her do this to me over and over, but I don't know any other way to get her out of the ring without using close combat! If I shoot her with my chi, I might hurt her,"_ Gohan panicked to himself. Sweat was now running down his face as he felt the eyes of the crowd on him, as well as Videl's.

"What does that old hag think she's doing?!" Videl yelled in a rage, "She's not even fighting properly! She's just using her whorish tactics to cheat her way through the tournament! I can't believe she isn't being disqualified!" Her face flushed red as she waved her fist around in front of her dangerously.

Goku laughed to himself as he was reminded of a female fighter he once saw at a past Budokai who won matches by taking off her shirt. He immediately thought of Master Roshi and how he would be enjoying this.

Vegeta growled loudly.

"I can't believe your son's going so easy on this joke of a woman, Kakarrot. If it were me out there, I would have finished this pathetic excuse for a fight long before she could get her hands on me!"

"Oh, it's harmless, Vegeta. Gohan probably just doesn't wanna hurt her. I actually think this is kind of funny, heh."

Videl stormed off into the nearest corner and began punching the air.

Piccolo's eyes were opened wide as he watched his former pupil dodge Hyourin's kisses in the ring. His lips formed a confused frown and his ears flushed.

_Poor Gohan…I can't believe he's being subjected to this._

In the back of the waiting room, Hatsuko was paying no attention at all to her surroundings. She was relaxing her mind to keep her emotions under control. Her thoughts kept crawling back to the sight of Onpu's mangled state in the hospital. Then, horrible remnants of her visions would surface that made her more and more aware of the oppressing presence of the demon standing in front of her.

Thirty minutes came and went as Gohan jumped around the ring to avoid getting anywhere near Hyourin's lips. The announcer finally interrupted her advances.

"Well, it seems that thirty minutes have passed and no one has won! This means that the winner of the match will be decided by our panel of judges."

Gohan sighed heavily and wiped his forehead. Hyourin grimaced and huffed.

_No one has refused my techniques like that before…this kid must have an iron will. Too bad…he was so cute._

"The judges have decided unanimously that Gohan is indeed the winner! Congratulations, Gohan!"

The announcement was all that Gohan needed. In a flash, he left the stadium and reappeared in the waiting room. His face was still burning. Piccolo turned to him and gave him an apologetic look, but said nothing. His father gave him a thumbs up and a broad smile. Vegeta ignored Gohan completely. Videl was in the corner, fuming.

"Wow, that was the craziest match of my life…that woman was psycho!" said Gohan as he approached her. He could tell she was angry so he chose his words as carefully as he could. "You know, Videl I'm really sorry you had to see that. I honestly wish I had been fighting you out there…I've been looking forward to seeing how much you've improved. I bet you'll give me some real competition and no nonsense."

Videl opened her eyes when Gohan finished speaking and looked up at him. She smiled and punched him playfully in the arm.

"I sure will give you some competition. I hope you're ready!"

Gohan chuckled in relief.

Vegeta suddenly realized that he was scheduled to fight next.

_Hmm…I wonder which one of these imbeciles is my opponent,_ he thought as he scanned the faces of the fighters amongst him. His eyes settled on a rather large man with a mustache. He had olive skin and shiny black hair. He was walking towards Vegeta with a blank expression on his chubby face.

The crowd began to cheer again as the announcer made his way onto the platform.

"Alright, folks! It's time for our next match! Let's hope this one is just as exciting as the last one!"

Vegeta winced as he heard the announcer's words. When he and his opponent's names were called, he walked out into the arena without saying anything to anyone. Goku watched him go and shook his head.

The large man with the mustache followed Vegeta out into the sunlight. His hair shone brightly and caused quite a commotion from the audience. Once the two fighters were situated, the announcer signaled for the match to begin. Vegeta stared at his opponent, scowling unpleasantly. His opponent's name was Hashi.

_A weakling…just like the rest of them. _

Hashi bent his knees slightly and raised both his arms into the air. Then, he balled his hands into fists. He ruffled his mustache as he let out a long breath of hot air. His fighting stance was incredibly strange. The announcer commented on it and stated that he was known for creating his own unique style of martial arts. Vegeta allowed Hashi to perfect his stance by doing nothing but watch him.

A light wind blew Vegeta's hair away from his head. He twitched and then outstretched his muscular arm. His gloves blew in the breeze as well, giving off a sound that was only audible because of the hushed crowd. Hashi stood his ground. A long silence passed as the two fighters stared each other down. Suddenly, a flash of light struck Hashi in his chest. As soon as the flash appeared, it was gone. When everyone's eyesight adjusted, Hashi was found on the grass below the platform. Vegeta was standing in the same position. The crowd cheered uncomfortably.

"Well, uhm…that match was short-lived, but what a spectacular performance from Vegeta! Congrats to our winner!"

Vegeta then sauntered back to the waiting room. When he passed Goku, he turned to him.

"These matches may be pointless now, Kakarrot, but when I fight you, you'll wish you had never decided to come back to Earth for today," he warned with a smirk.  
Goku returned Vegeta's determined yet friendly expression.

"I hope you fight like you talk, Vegeta. I want you to give it your all. I know I will."


	9. The First Round Concludes

Chapter 9: The First Round Concludes

Hatsuko was brought out of her trance by a pungent odor that suddenly filled her nostrils. She wrinkled her nose and coughed violently to expel the tainted air from her lungs. As she searched for the source of what she now identified as alcohol fumes, her attention fell on an elderly man who had just taken a seat nearby. He was wearing a tattered gray uniform and sporting a bushy mustache of the same color. He burped loudly.

_That's strange…I don't recall him smelling this bad earlier_, she thought as she watched the man sway back and forth on the ground. _Pathetic. He can't even sit up straight._

* * *

Mr. Satan tied the sash to his uniform taught and took a deep breath.

"Well, here we go! I'm ready as ever!" he lied to himself. A furious knock on his door made him jump.

"Mr. Satan! You're up next! You've gotta get out here now!" yelled his assistant frantically.

Satan scurried to the door and opened it. To collect himself, he puffed out his chest and marched down the hallway, holding his head high.

_Please let me win this match!_ He thought to himself as a drop of perspiration trickled down his temple.

* * *

Back in the arena, the whole crowd was cheering "Satan! Satan!" over and over until they began to go horse. The announcer waited nervously for Mr. Satan to appear.

"Don't you worry, ladies and gentlemen! Our hero, Mr. Satan, will be arriving soon! In the meantime, how about we call our other contestant out into the arena! Please give a big welcome to Kuchi!" The crowd responded with a less enthusiastic cry.

Vegeta's jaw clenched as he watched the sumo wrestler walk past him into the stadium.

_I never thought I would be rooting for you, Satan, but it looks like that will be the case…_

Kuchi parked himself in the middle of the arena. Satan approached the entrance to the ring and laid eyes on his opponent. His nerves settled and he let the breath that he had been holding free.

"Phew…and I was worried," he muttered to himself. As he puffed out his chest again, he sauntered into the arena. When they spotted him, the crowd began to cheer again, this time calling "Champ! Champ! Champ!"

As the crowd called him, Satan's confidence skyrocketed. He lost himself in the rhythm of the chant and a determined grin spread across his face. When he reached the ring, he struck a pose. He jutted both of his arms straight into the air while forming two peace signs with his hands. The audience roared with applause.

"Well, here he is, folks! The Champ! Let's get this match started, shall we?" the announcer called as he tried to project over the noise. Satan gave the announcer a thumbs up and approached Kuchi, who was waiting patiently.

Kuchi struck a preparatory sumo stance. His serious demeanor contrasted greatly with his previously lighthearted attitude. His brows were pulled together and his mouth formed a small, concentrated frown. His dark eyes were fixed on Mr. Satan, unblinking.

_This is what I came here for_, he thought. _If I can beat Mr. Satan, I'll be the strongest man on the planet!_

Mr. Satan flexed his bicep and flashed a brilliant grin at Kuchi.

"Your fancy moves won't intimidate me, friend! I'm the Champ! My strength was greater than that of the great monster Cell! Don't underestimate my power or you will get hurt! If you wish to forfeit, please leave nah—" Satan's warning was truncated by Kuchi's massive body colliding with his own. Completely taken by surprise, Satan fell heavily on his front. His face throbbed with pain, causing his eyes to water. He stifled a groan and got up slowly.

Kuchi stood by his opponent in deep concentration, waiting for the next opportunity to strike. Satan sensed this and put up his guard. When Kuchi struck again, Satan braced himself by putting both of his hands in front of him. He was going to attempt to take the collision head-on. When Kuchi's body-blow hit, Satan buckled under the pressure. His backside hit the arena floor and he winced in embarrassment.

Kuchi stood up straight. He was smiling.

_I'll give him something to smile about!_ Thought Satan. He hopped onto his feet and struck a pose that signaled a counterattack.

Satan's name was being chanted loudly. He used their chant as a tool to help him focus. With every repetition of his name, Satan became more and more determined. As soon as the tenth round of cheers ended, he opened his mouth wide and let out a war cry. He rushed Kuchi and began to throw powerful punches and kicks. Kuchi panicked and attempted to dodge the assaults, but he was too slow. With a hard kick to the stomach, Kuchi was out of the ring.

The crowd burst with applause. Satan stood, slouching with fatigue. His face was decorated with a triumphant grin. He flashed the crowd two more peace signs before departing.

Back in the waiting room, Goku was growing restless.

"Alright! Finally, it's my turn to fight!" he said enthusiastically while he stretched out his legs. Vegeta eyed him curiously and then smirked.

"Heh. I wouldn't waste your time with that, Kakarrot. This match is going to be easy for you and I want you to save your energy for when you fight me," he said.

Goku straightened himself up and nodded to Vegeta. He then turned to Piccolo, who was smiling slightly.

"Wish me luck!" Goku said as he waved to his comrades. He left for the stadium without waiting for the announcer to call his name.

All of the sudden, Piccolo felt a horrible burn inside of his nose as he inhaled. He grimaced in revulsion as the drunken old man walked past him after Goku. Piccolo watched him leave and bared his teeth.

_How despicable. _

The announcer noticed Goku and his opponent taking their places in the ring. He quickly ended the conversation he was having with his assistant to introduce them.

"Oh, well, here we have our next two fighters. Let's hear it for the previous champion, Son Goku and his opponent Mr. Bashu!" The crowd barely seemed to notice that the next match had begun. They were still chatting about Mr. Satan's miraculous performance.

Goku rubbed his head as he examined Bashu. The old man was burping and murmuring to himself inaudibly. His fleshy face was flushed pink and his eyelids drooped.

"Wow, if I didn't know better, I'd say this guy was tipsy," Goku said to himself. His thoughts seemed to be confirmed when Bashu pulled a flask inconspicuously out of his uniform and took a quick swig from it. The announcer signaled for the match to begin, but Bashu did not respond. Goku moved in carefully while looking his opponent straight in the face, hoping to grab his attention.

"Hey, Mister, are you okay? I'm going to have to attack you now. I'd feel bad if you weren't ready," he warned in his usual friendly manner. Bashu did not respond in any way. He merely stood his ground while staring into space, occasionally hiccupping. Goku stopped when he was a few feet in front of Bashu. He waited for a brief moment before deciding to attack.

So he wouldn't hurt the old man, Goku threw a weak punch aimed at Bashu's chest. Just as his fist was about to hit its mark, Bashu flailed his entire body into the air, deflecting the blow. Goku was taken by surprise but recovered quickly. Bashu began to stumble around the ring, tripping over his feet several times. He was growling angrily under his breath.

_So, another drunken technique, eh? I see. Only, this time, it's not just a technique. How interesting,_ Goku thought to himself. His grandfather had taught him the art of drunken boxing when he was a child, and the Turtle Hermit had used it against him in a previous Budokai as well. Goku was very familiar with this area of martial arts, but never in his life had he encountered a fighter who actually intoxicated himself before a fight.

"Your style of fighting is definitely interesting, Sir, but it's by no means original," Goku said playfully. "I've seen this before and I know how to block all of your moves." Bashu's back faced Goku at this point. His body continued to sway dangerously.

"You know, Son, it's not just the alcohol that gives me an edge," Bashu slurred in a raspy voice, "it's what happens to me when I drink it as well." He faced Goku quickly and flashed him a toothy grin. A vein throbbed in his forehead as he clenched his fists together. His skin began to turn red. Goku likened his appearance to a bull about to charge.

Just as Goku had expected, Bashu began to charge him recklessly while swinging his limbs about. His jaw hung open as he grunted with every blow that he dealt. Goku avoided every hit with ease. The two fighters moved about the ring. Goku decided that it would be best to end the match as quickly as possible. He leapt over Bashu's head and landed behind him. He gently kicked his opponent square in the back and sent him flying straight out of the ring. Bashu landed next to the announcer with a thud. When the announcer bent down, he realized Bashu had immediately fallen asleep.

"Uh…Well, there goes Bashu! The match goes to Son Goku!" Goku grinned and waved to his wife in the audience before returning to the waiting room. The announcer turned to his assistant. "Hey, can we call that ambulance again? This guy is totally tanked."

When Goku came back, Krillin met him with a fit of laughter.

"Oh, man, Goku, didn't that guy remind you of Master Roshi fighting you as Jackie Chun? It was practically the same fight, only this time he was actually drunk!"

"Hah, yeah, I thought the same thing, Krillin. I just hope he's okay when he wakes up. He seemed really out of it," Goku said as he watched the medical staff haul Bashu out of the stadium. A moment of silence passed as Krillin directed his gaze to the corner where Hatsuko was meditating. She seemed to be completely oblivious to everything, so he decided to speak now.

"Hey, guys," he said quietly. Goku, Vegeta and Piccolo all turned their attention to Krillin, who was now huddled closer to them in an attempt to muffle his voice. "After her fight Hatsuko told me that my wife and I were extraordinary fighters and that we should be proud."

Vegeta rolled his eyes.

"What's so problematic with that?" he said too loudly. Krillin's eyes widened and he quickly put a finger to his mouth.

"That's not the problem. 18 told me that after she had been hit by Hatsuko's final attack, she felt her neck snap and she could have sworn it was broken, but then when Hatsuko went over to her, it felt fine. That's not the strangest part. Hatsuko told her to send Dr. Gero her regards." The three fighters' faces went blank. Vegeta was the first to respond.

"How the hell would—" his words were silenced by Krillin's hand covering his mouth. He knocked it away forcefully and snorted. He began again in a slight whisper.

"How the hell would she know about him?" he asked while giving Krillin a dirty look. Krillin responded by shrugging his shoulders. Piccolo stared at Hatsuko and tensed his muscles.

_If she knows about Gero then she knows 18 is an android. I need to figure out how she knows so much! _

In the corner of the room, Hatsuko was desperately trying to remain still.

_What's it to them that I know about Dr. Gero? There's something strange about that group. I thought perhaps they were harmless but it seems as if I can't trust them. It doesn't make much of a difference anyway. I didn't come here to make friends...especially those who associate with Piccolo Daimao._

The announcer's booming voice initiated the last match to commence before the next round of fighting was to begin. At the back of the waiting room, Gohan and Videl abruptly ended their conversation.

"Oh, well, it looks like I'm up!" Videl said with excitement. She winked at Gohan. "Wish me luck!" In response, Gohan's face flushed as he leaned in towards her. His lips gently grazed her cheek before he pulled away and grinned bashfully. Videl blushed deeply and waved to him. The woman who Onpu had mistook for a man stomped after Videl with a scowl on her pudgy face. As Gohan watched them leave, his eyes fell on Krillin, who was sporting a sly countenance and giving him a thumbs-up. His face burned.

"Here they are folks! Give a great warm welcome to the daughter of our very own Mr. Satan, Videl, and her opponent Shinjo!" The announcer could hardly be heard over the roar of the audience as they cheered for Videl.

Shinjo rolled up her sleeves and cracked her knuckles one by one. Videl glared at her opponent and waited for the announcer's signal.

"Ready! Fight!!"

Shinjo moved sluggishly towards Videl as soon as the announcer's voice became swallowed by the applause. When she was roughly five feet away from Videl, she hurled her massive body into the air with all her might. Videl escaped the blow just in time. Shinjo fell heavily on her stomach. Unaffected by the fall, she got onto her feet and continued to charge Videl full-force.

_Jeez, this lady is trying to kill me!_ thought Videl as she avoided yet another lethal cannonball from her opponent.

"So, Gohan, I saw what you did before, hahahaha," Krillin taunted. Gohan's face was still flushed. He frowned slightly.

"Yeah, yeah, I know you did. Just forget it, okay," he said as he attempted to watch Videl's match in peace.

"Well, son, I think it's great that you have a girlfriend," Goku said as he put a hand on Gohan's shoulder. "She seems really great." Gohan's eye twitched as he tried to ignore everything that was being said to him.

Piccolo watched the match in silence to spare Gohan any further grief. He felt equally embarrassed.

Out in the ring, Videl was still dodging Shinjo's attempts to squash her.

_Man, if only I could figure out a way to attack her without risking getting hit!_

Suddenly, she remembered what Gohan had taught her. She had wanted to save those newly acquired techniques for later on in the tournament, but it seemed as if she had no choice. When Shinjo launched yet another body attack at her, Videl summoned her chi to lift her into the air. Shinjo got up from the ground and searched for Videl.

"Where did that little brat go?" she said as her eyes darted around the arena.

"Right here!" called Videl. Her foot met with her opponent's head. Shino fell backwards and stayed there. The announcer declared Videl the winner after counting to ten, causing the audience to chant again. Videl made her way back to the waiting room. She locked her gaze with Gohan's and gave him a thumbs-up.

"Hah, she really likes you, Gohan," Krillin said. Hatsuko opened her eyes and witnessed Gohan and Videl hugging each other. She clenched her jaw.

_How juvenile_, she thought icily.

"Alright, folks! Now we will have a two hour intermission while we draw the next round of fights randomly. The new lineup will be posted after the first hour, so all fighters should make sure they look it over then. See you soon!" The announcer wiped his forehead with his handkerchief and exhaled. "Man, I'm getting too old for this job."


	10. The Remaining Eight

Chapter 10: The Remaining Eight

Vegeta reclined in his chair and let out a loud belch. A pile of dishes was laid out before him on the table. Goku answered Vegeta with a slightly louder belch of his own. Gohan was the last to finish eating, as he was still shoveling a bowl of rice into his mouth. The three Saiyans sat in silence for a moment digesting their meal. Hatsuko eyed them intently while sipping on a cup of tea. She sat alone at a neighboring table.

_I wonder why Prince Vegeta is on this planet, _she thought. Vegeta had made himself conspicuous by declaring a burping match against Goku, intent on establishing his dominance in any way he could. _He seems to be friends with those other two fighters…I wonder why he would choose to live on Earth instead of selling it. It doesn't make any sense._ Hatsuko decided to push her thoughts to the back of her mind for the moment. One hour had passed and the listings would have just been posted for the next round. Her heart began to pump with nervous excitement as she left the dining area.

The waiting room was empty. Hatsuko approached the board propped up against one of the walls. She examined the matches carefully, letting out a sigh of disappointment when she found her name:

Match 1: Vegeta vs. Mr. Satan

Match 2: Gohan vs. Goku

Match 3: Hatsuko vs. Videl

Match 4: Ma Junior vs. Krillin

Her eyes closed. One more hour remained before the fighting resumed. She decided to meditate during that hour to calm her chi. After this round, her fate would be realized. With her mind clear of thought, Hatsuko retreated to her corner and drifted into deep relaxation.

With fifteen minutes left, the seven other fighters entered the waiting room. They hastily read the board to see who they would be up against. When he spotted his name, Vegeta barked a noise that was meant to be a cynical laugh.

"Well, it appears that I have yet another exciting challenge! This tournament has been nothing but crap from the start. Kakarrot, you better defeat your son so I can fight you in the next round!" Vegeta stormed off to the opposite wall, cussing under his breath.

"Vegeta's pretty pissed, huh?" Krillin asked Goku as he searched for his name on the board. When he found it, a lump formed in his throat that he struggled to swallow. "Oh,no. Not again…" His eyes rolled upwards to look at Piccolo who towered over him. Piccolo read his name on the board and lifted one corner of his mouth slightly. He and Krillin had faught in the last Budokai that they both had attended. The match ended by a forfeit from Krillin, who had been overwhelmed by Piccolo's difficult fighting style and ruthless attitude. Although he and Piccolo were now allies, Krillin was still apprehensive about how he would fair against the namekian's strength.

"I'm interested to see how this unfolds, Krillin," Piccolo said. Krillin laughed nervously in response.

Gohan and Goku were quite ecstatic when they realized they would be fighting each other. Goku was anxious to see how much stronger Gohan had gotten while he had been away in Other World. Gohan wanted desperately to see the fruit of his father's training. But, at the same time, he was apprehensive because fighting had taken a back seat to his school work for the past few years. The last thing he wanted was for Goku to be disappointed in him.

"Look, Gohan. I'm fighting _her_," Videl said as she gestured towards Hatsuko. Gohan's face became somber as he eyed Hatsuko in the corner. She seemed completely unaware of the commotion happening just a few feet away from her. He put his arm around Videl's shoulders and pulled her closer to him.

"Don't worry, you'll do fine," he lied. Videl continued to look at her adversary resolutely.

The audience began to take their seats in the bleachers as the first match was about to begin. A roar of applause welcomed the announcer as he strolled into the stadium. He looked refreshed from his two hour break. He adjusted his sunglasses and raised his hand in salutation.

"Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen! Are you ready to get all riled up again?! " he asked as the crowd answered by screaming. "Well, then, let's begin the second round of the finals of the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai!" The audience saturated the air with erratic sound waves. Hatsuko's heavy eyelids opened. She focused her eyesight to see all the other contestants with their backs to her, their fronts facing the stadium. She decided to follow suit, so she stood up.

"Please let us welcome the fighters of the first match: Vegeta and the one and only Mr. Satan!"

Mr. Satan appeared for the second time from the front of the stadium, close to where the announcer was standing. He waved to the crowd and flashed his peace signs left and right. Cheers broke out again, giving the sound waves a rhythm.

"Don't go overboard, Vegeta. You could really hurt him," Krillin warned the prince. Vegeta turned to him and scowled.

"I'll do whatever I damn well please! Don't try to tell me how to fight! That Satan character will get what's coming to him…_pain_!" With that, Vegeta stormed out of the waiting room. Videl's eyes grew large. She began to shake with fear for her father.

"Gohan, why was he so mad at my dad? Is he really that jealous? Please, tell me he was kidding!"

Gohan remained silent as he frantically searched for words of reassurance to give Videl. He could think of none, so he shrugged lamely.

When Satan finally took his place in the ring, Vegeta was already waiting with his arms crossed and his legs planted firmly shoulder-width apart. His eyebrows creased his forehead and created deep shadows over his eyes. His spiky hair ruffled in the breeze.

_Oh, man…this guy knocked out that other fighter with one of those flashy tricks. I'm pretty sure he was at the Cell Games too…oh, no. He probably recognizes me! He knows how weak I am! I'm gonna get creamed for sure!_ Satan was suddenly struck with an idea. He made his way over to Vegeta's intimidating figure while shaking the entire time. When Satan reached him, he cleared his throat and signaled that he had a proposal by raising his finger into the air.

"My good man, I have a deal for you. I know you're freaky strong like those other guys that you're friends with. I think we both know what's at stake here so I'm offering you five million zenni if you throw the match. If you fight and make it a convincing win for me, I'll give you six million. You in?" Satan attempted to sound as cool and collected as he could. Vegeta instantly noticed the note of fear in the wrestler's voice. His brow wrinkled deeper and his lips parted to show his clenched teeth. He locked eyes with Mr. Satan and began to laugh darkly.

"You fool. No amount of bribery will convince me to feed into your lies. Your reign ends here!" He grabbed Satan by his uniform and lifted him into the air. Satan struggled under Vegeta's grasp, kicking his legs wildly about. Vegeta hurled his arm forward and threw Satan straight out of the ring towards the side of the stadium just below the first row of seats. His body collided with the brick wall head-first.

"Hmph," snorted the prince as he rested his arm back at his side. Once they realized their hero had been thrown from the ring like a ragdoll, the crowd began to boo Vegeta expressively. Then they repeatedly chanted a vulgar phrase that caused Vegeta's blood to curdle. He growled and stormed off the platform.

Goku put his hand on his son's shoulder firmly. Gohan looked up at his father and took off his sunglasses.

"Dad?" he said. Goku was smiling at him.

"Son, no matter what the outcome of this fight is, just know that I'll always be proud of you." Gohan stared at Goku with his mouth open slightly. Goku left the waiting room when Vegeta finally returned, leaving Gohan behind. The announcer called the next match.

"Good luck, Gohan. I'll be cheering for you," said Videl softly. Gohan smiled at her and then turned to Piccolo who was resting against the nearby wall. He nodded to Gohan when their gaze met. Before he left, Gohan waved to his friends. Hatsuko watched him go with interest. Son Goku was supposed to be a former champion. She was curious to see how strong he was.

When Gohan entered the arena, the announcer introduced him as The Great Saiyaman, his pseudonym and alternate identity. He and Videl made a hobby out of dressing up in crazy outfits and saving people from various emergencies in the town of their high school. He had adorned the same outfit to fight in the Budokai in order to conceal his identity. Now that he was fighting his father, he did not particularly care if anyone from his school recognized him.

Goku readied himself by stretching out his legs, as he usually did before a match. Gohan watched his father nervously.

_Oh, man. Dad's so strong and I've gotten so weak since I defeated Cell. He's gonna be so upset when he realizes I'm not who I used to be._ Gohan's thoughts were silenced by the announcer's voice.

"Ready! Fight!!"

Goku motioned for Gohan to make the first move. Gohan swallowed hard and braced himself. He decided to take it easy and fight on the ground first. He ran full-force at Goku and tried to punch him. Goku blocked the punch too easily but did not retaliate with any move of his own. Gohan pulled back, puzzled.

"Go ahead, Son. Don't hold back. I want you to fight me with everything you have, got it?" Goku said seriously. He was no longer cheerful. Gohan realized that this would probably be the last time he would ever spar with his father before he died. Tears collected in his eyes. He fought to hold his eyelids open so he would not appear weak. He nodded slowly to what Goku had said as he took hold of his chi. He collected it and spread it out into his limbs, distributing it evenly.

"Alright, Dad. Here it comes," Gohan announced.

In the waiting room, Hatsuko had left the confines of her corner to join the other fighters at the entrance to the stadium. Piccolo, Vegeta and Krillin stood one by one in the front of the small crowd. She eased in next to them and focused on Gohan's chi.

_His power is immense…and it keeps rising. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was a Saiyan as well. But, that would mean that Son Goku…_ her thoughts were drowned by a loud round of applause from the crowd. Gohan and Goku had vanished. Gohan's chi was erupting through the air in sudden pulses that signaled several attempted blows to his opponent. Hatsuko's mouth opened in amazement has she followed their energy through the air. They were flying.

Gohan tried dreadfully to land a punch but failed every time. Goku moved swiftly. The pair became visible again when Gohan decided to try a different tactic. He vanished and reappeared on the ground of the stadium. He held both arms over his head, conjoining his two hands and gathered a vast amount of chi to them. He felt the familiarity of the attack instantly. He realized that he had not performed this move in years. He smiled as he recalled how Piccolo had taught it to him so many years ago. When the correct amount of energy had amassed in his hands, he readied his body for the release.

"Ma-senko…HAH!" Gohan declared as he pushed his chi ball through the air with a forceful motion of his arms. The energy hurled toward Goku.

_Hmm…it's been a while since I've seen that move, Gohan. I wonder why you're using this on me. I've seen it way too many times to be caught off-guard,_ Goku wondered to himself as he deflected the blast into the atmosphere. The crowd watched it depart with a collective gasp.

Piccolo shook his head ever so slightly as his eyes followed the failed Ma-senko high into the air.

_Gohan, what are you doing? You know that Goku is stronger than he was before. You need to be more precise with your attack combinations. _

Hatsuko's full attention rested on Gohan now.

_No way! This kid knows the Ma-senko?! How is this possible? He can't be a demon!! His chi is too pure. Damn it, who are these people?! _Her eyes darted left and right to the warriors standing among her. They were all relaxed as they watched the match. Hatsuko became tense and realized that Piccolo's energy was becoming heavier with every moment.

Goku was now rooted firmly on the ring as he waited for Gohan to materialize and attack him. He followed his son's chi around the arena as it bounced unevenly from spot to spot. Finally, Gohan's fist met with Goku's chest. When he recovered, Goku faced Gohan.

Out of breath, Gohan stared his father in the eyes and held his hand up in the air to signal a time-out. He approached Goku and pulled his eyebrows down in disappointment.

"Dad, I know you're holding back. I can feel it," he stated with a hard edge to his voice. "I want to fight a fair match, even if I lose miserably. I don't think I'll get another chance to see you in top form again until I die, and I hope that won't be for a long time."

Goku sighed and raised the corner of his mouth. He nodded.

"I'm sorry, Gohan. I was holding back. I didn't want you to feel too inferior to me because you used to be so much stronger than I was. I must admit, you haven't been keeping up with your training as much I thought you were."

"You're right, I haven't. I'm sorry, Dad, I really should have been. But, I just want you to know that if you don't fight me with your full power, then I'm going to forfeit. I don't want a watered-down performance from you." Gohan's ultimatum made Goku smile.

"You've got it, Son," Goku promised as he clapped Gohan on the shoulder. He backed up and emitted a burst of chi from his body, which enshrouded him in a fire-like aura of blue. He struck a fighting pose as the chi ruffled his uniform. Gohan gratefully bowed to his father and formed an identical aura of his own. Father and son stared each other down, ready to finish their final battle.

Vegeta watched the two fighters anxiously. He seemed to be waiting for something. When Goku and Gohan began to fight again, he grunted in disappointment.

"Damn, I wanted to see them go Super Saiyan. That would have made this fight much more telling," he said to himself. Hatsuko's hair bristled when she heard his words.

_Super Saiyan? No…then that means…Son Goku and Son Gohan _are _Saiyans! How is this possible? Their names aren't—_Hatsuko's thought was cut off by a recent memory of Vegeta speaking to Son Goku during a previous match. He had called him 'Kakarrot'. _'Kakarrot'! So, wait…if Goku is really a Saiyan, then why is he here with Prince Vegeta? Are they planning to take over Earth? If they were, why in the world would they be participating in a martial arts competition…and having families?!_ She thought frantically as she considered Gohan. Her mind ran wild with questions as Goku sent a Kamehameha towards his son. The blast covered the crowd in a fabulous blue glow. Gohan retaliated by sending his own Kamehameha blast at his father's. The two waves collided, producing a strong gust of wind that ripped through the stadium.

Gohan forced his chi through him, concentrating with all his might. His father's wave was overpowering his by a small margin that he had to make up for. His blast pulsed as he increased his power. Goku then overcame Gohan's wave yet again. Gohan began to feel weak as his energy started depleting. He gritted his teeth and shut his eyes.

_I have to win this!_ He thought as he tried to hold the blast at bay. Unfortunately, Goku had much more chi than he did at a normal state. If only Gohan was allowed to turn into a Super Saiyan, he would have the ability to increase his chi vastly. Unfortunately, the Saiyans made a pact before the Budokai began to only compete in their normal forms. Super Saiyan transformations were not permitted. Gohan finally let his Kamehameha give in to his father's. Goku's blast burst forth toward Gohan. Before the wave hit its target, Goku maneuvered the blast to curve upwards into the sky. Gohan was knelt down on one knee, out of breath.

"I…tried, Dad…" his voice trailed off and his vision became blurry. His body buckled with fatigue. He fell to the ground. The announcer counted to ten and declared Goku the victor.

Goku smiled and approached his son. He grabbed Gohan by the shoulders and wrapped an arm around him as he hoisted his limp body off the ground. Gohan looked at his father and shot him a goofy grin. The two Saiyans shared a chuckle. Goku helped his son off the stage as the crowd applauded them.

_"You fought well, Gohan."_ Piccolo's voice filled Gohan's head as he made his way slowly to the waiting room. "_I want you to know how proud I am of you for lasting as long as you did against your father. That was no simple feat. Congratulations, Kid."_ When Gohan returned, Piccolo greeted him with a praising smile. Videl ran to Gohan and excitedly commended him for his performance. She offered to help him out of the waiting room. Goku willingly gave Gohan over to her. Hatsuko watched the exchange and lifted an eyebrow.

_This Son Goku…or Kakarrot, is extremely strong. Despite his power, he seems friendly and unassuming. Those are not characteristics of a Saiyan. I'm so confused…_ Hatsuko shook her head.

When Videl returned from helping Gohan to the recovery wing, she approached Hatsuko.

"Hey, there! I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Videl and I'm fighting you next. Are you excited? You must be new to the martial arts community. I haven't seen you at any other competitions before." Videl fell silent when Hatsuko did not answer her. She merely stood rigid and gazed piercingly at Videl with her steel-blue eyes.

"Uh, so…I wish you the best of luck!" Videl tentatively stuck her hand forward to shake Hatsuko's, who turned her back on the young fighter.

"You know, I'm just trying to be nice here!" Videl exclaimed. She turned around abruptly and made her way into the arena without waiting for an introduction.

"What a spectacle that was, folks! I hope you can see now why Son Goku was our former champion! That famed move, the Kamehameha wave, is Goku and his mentor Master Roshi's signature attack! It looks like that wave will live on in the next generation with his son, Son Gohan! Now, I hope you're ready because the next match will commence immediately! Please welcome Videl Satan and Hatsuko!"


	11. Videl's Rage

Chapter 11: Videl's Rage

Hatsuko's hair fell slowly into her view as her eyes frantically scanned a paper clenched tightly in her hands. Her eyebrow twitched.

"Oh no, I found another error! Let's see here…" Her concentration was focused on a missing citation in her article. Suddenly, a hand clenched her shoulder. Her body convulsed in shock and she swung her head around violently, only to face the sight of her surprised father.

"Hatsuko, dear, are you alright?" he asked while withdrawing his hand. Dark circles had formed underneath his daughters' eyes. Cast against her pale skin, they gave her face a ghastly quality that concerned him deeply. It reminded him of the all-nighters he used to pull while he was in school.

"You know, I can postpone your journal entry until next month, Hon. It isn't imperative that you finish this tonight. You're nine years old…save the stress for when you're older," he said with a somber smile. Hatsuko's eyelids lowered as she listened to her father's advice. She knew he was right.

"I know, Dad. I really should get some sleep. I just want to finish. This is the most fascinating research on the entire planet, and I get to write about it! There are probably so many other scientists who would kill to write this paper, and I get to because I know you." Her father's face fell. The fact that she did not say "because I'm your daughter" instead bothered him.

"Well, Darling, I think you should get to sleep. I understand how passionate you are about this research. Believe me, I am too. I just think that you're overexerting yourself when you needn't be." Hatsuko nodded reluctantly and gathered all of her papers into a pile. She set them aside before climbing the small set of wooden stairs up to the ground floor of her house.

"Goodnight, Dad," she muttered as she exited the basement. The sweet fragrance of flowers tickled her nose. She raised her eyebrows quizzically. Her gaze fell on her mother, who was working by the light of a single lamp on an old wooden table filled with freshly cut flowers. There was an assortment of vibrantly colored roses and baby's breath. Hatsuko made her way over to the table.

"Mom, what are you doing up this late?"

"I should be asking you the same, Sweetie. Will you hand me a blue rose?" Hatsuko tried to decipher which roses were blue in the dim light. Her eyesight was blurred from reading all night. She gingerly handed her mother a rose.

"Mom, what kind of rose is that?" Hatsuko asked curiously as she tried to remember what type of rose was naturally blue. She drew a blank.

"They're China Roses. They're my favorite specie of flower. I bred them to reach this color blue. As far as I know, no one else has been able to produce this exact hue. For that very reason, I've been quite busy making wedding centerpieces of this rose alone. This one needs to be ready at 6 A.M." she said while wiping her forehead with a delicate wrist. She sighed and turned to Hatsuko. "So, did you finish your article?"

"No, I didn't. I wasn't done editing. Dad made me go to bed," Hatsuko said. Her brain began to feel fuzzy. She had been awake for far too long.

"Well, he's allowed to ask that of you, Sweetheart. He is your father, after all."

"I know I haven't been getting much sleep lately, but I have so much to do. Along with the monthly papers, I'm trying to learn a new language that Dad introduced me to. It's very complicated, Mom. It has its own alphabet and everything. It's quite beautiful, though. I wish I could find someone else to speak it with."

Hatsuko's mother chuckled.

"Dear, you push yourself too hard. You have your whole life ahead of you. Don't worry about learning everything at once. It will come to you in time. Just pace yourself." She resumed her work. As her hands ruffled the flowers, a sweet scent filled Hatsuko's nostrils.

"Mom, have you noticed that Dad's been really tired lately?"

As soon as she heard her daughter utter the words, the corners of her lips fell. She sighed heavily.

"I have, dear. He's probably just working too hard, as usual. I don't want you to worry about it. Please head up to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

Hatsuko sensed the notes of fear in her mother's voice, so she decided not to press her with further questions. She nodded and walked slowly down a narrow hallway that led to her bedroom. She shut the door behind her.

Down in the basement, Dr. Okami sifted through the pages of Hatsuko's paper. He counted twenty-five.

_Not bad,_ he thought. He flipped to the first page and re-read the title: "_Biological Processes of the Saiyan Oozaru Transformation_". He shook his head. Had he been able to write like this when he was nine years old, he could have retired years ago. His faith in Hatsuko never wavered, but he still worried for her. Her papers had been the most important contributions to his journal for the past few months. Other doctors had expressed their concerns about her ability to keep quiet about her accomplishments. Earlier that night, Dr. Briefs, a mechanical genius and CEO of Capsule Corporation, had called him with regards to the next journal issue. He had been in contact with a colleague named Dr. Gero who had just learned that Hatsuko was only nine.

_"Okami, I must confess that Gero is quite wary of the fact that your daughter is of such a young age. He doesn't think it is wise to trust her with the responsibility of keeping her research a secret. She is ignorant, after all, even if she has a brilliant mind. I tell you, my daughter is a smart cookie as well, but when it comes to common sense, she can be—"_

_"Briefs, I understand Gero's concerns, but I assure you that Hatsuko is wise beyond her years. She is perfectly capable of keeping this a secret. She doesn't even have friends to tell this to. If Gero is that concerned about this whole thing, tell him to contact me. If he doesn't, I will assume that he agrees with my decisions. These are, after all, my organization and my journal. I admitted him. I can just as easily revoke his membership."_

_"Yes, Doctor, I understand. Although, I'm sure that fact would not phase Gero in the least considering his articles have been quite scarce in the journal for the past few years. I remember him telling me about a new private research project he had been conducting that involved something with robotics. He never quite explained the details, but it sounded extensive. Well, anyway, I just wanted to relay the warning. I must tell you that I, myself, do not have any qualms about your daughter contributing to our work. She is quite an asset to the team!"_

Dr. Okami's focus returned to the room. His head spun, and he began to perspire profusely. He caught his head in his free hand as the dizzy spell overtook him. This was the third one of the day.

* * *

Piccolo watched Videl storm off towards the arena and then redircted his gaze to Hatsuko. He squinted in agitation.

_I don't understand why she thinks she can get away with treating her peers with such malice. Her arrogance will be her downfall. _

Piccolo's thoughts drifted to events from his past. He saw himself at the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, a twisted, egotistical young fighter with more power than he could handle. His motives for entering were purely based on vengeance. His hatred had clouded his vision and made him believe that Son Goku would be no match for his might. He then saw a vision of a younger Vegeta, who had arrived on Earth with the same belief: that he was invincible. Ultimately, they both met their defeats at the hands of Goku, who was now their common ally.

Piccolo sighed quietly. He sincerely hoped that she would lose.

Hatsuko felt everyone's eyes on her, so she departed the waiting room. Her patience was wearing thin.

_I hope this girl isn't too much of a nuisance. I want to get this match over quickly so I can fight that green demon. _

Her mind momentarily recalled a series of images from a previous vision she had had during one of her nightly dreams. She and Piccolo had fought in an arena resembling the one she stood in presently. His moves were all crystal clear. She had studied them intently to devise the perfect counter attacks. She still could not understand why Piccolo looked so different, or why his chi was so much stronger. Hopefully this would not interfere with her ability to defeat him, although her dreams never specified whether she would prevail or not. She tried to stay determined.

_First thing's first…beat this brat._

The announcer signaled for the fight to begin. Videl attacked instantaneously. She flew at top speed towards Hatsuko, poised to deliver a punch. Hatsuko raised her eyebrows and puckered her lips patronizingly. Videl released her fist onto her target, but when she expected to make contact, she lost sight of Hatsuko's form. Her eyes widened as she continued to fly forward towards the announcer's edge of the ring.

"Wow! It looks like Hatsuko dodged at the very last minute! She's a fast one, isn't she?!" the announcer said to the audience, who responded with loud cheers of Hatsuko's name.

Videl quickly recovered and successfully stopped herself in midair. She clenched her fists and stared at Hatsuko, whose back was turned to her. She had only moved a few inches over, but it had been just enough. Deciding to try a new approach, Videl lifted herself higher into the air with her chi. She positioned herself directly over Hatsuko, who still hadn't moved.

"Are you going to fight me, or just stand there?" Videl called down to her opponent. Hatsuko remained stoic, not paying Videl any mind.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Videl was beginning to get angry. She had never fought someone so rude before. Her usual opponents at her father's dojo were perfect gentlemen. She had always been taught to respect her adversary in the ring, no matter how much she might have disliked them. This Hatsuko girl was breaking all of her codes.

Fed up, Videl decided to attack freely. She rushed Hatsuko and unleashed a frenzy of kick and punch combinations. Hatsuko blocked all of Videls' blows with one hand, staying rooted to her spot all the while. After a few minutes, Videl had failed to land any hits. She pulled back, out of breath.

"Do you wish to attack me again, or can I finish this? I'll save you some unnecessary embarrassment if you chose the second option," Hatsuko said calmly with a blank expression on her fair face. The sun reflected off of her skin clearly, giving her the appearance of a statue.

Videl could feel her heart beating quickly against her breast bone. She clenched her fists harder.

"How dare you speak to me that way?! I have been nothing but polite to you and I have gotten nothing but disrespect in return! You might be new to this tournament, but that doesn't mean you can treat your opponents like dirt! I'll have you know that my father saved the world! If it weren't for him, you would be dead! I think that means that I deserve at least a little respect, if for no other reason!" Videl breathed heavily in and out. Her body shook with rage as she awaited a response from Hatsuko.

"Sweetheart, get over yourself. I have more important things to do than listen to your self-righteous discourse," Hatsuko replied. She clenched her jaw.

_It's a shame this girl has such poor fighting skills. She's certainly a brave one._

Just as a fountain of retorts bubbled up Videl's throat, it was quelled by a sudden force that collided with her core, sending her backwards onto the grass beyond the ring. Videl's head hit the ground hard, immediately rendering her unconscious. All eyes looked from Videl to Hatsuko, who stood in the exact same spot as before with her arm outstretched. No one had seen her move. The announcer blinked several times before proclaiming Hatsuko as the winner. An ambulance siren sounded in the distance.

Irritated and anxious, Hatsuko left the arena promptly and headed into the waiting room yet again. She avoided eye contact with all of the remaining fighters. As she passed them, Piccolo's chi suddenly crushed her, causing her to wince.

"You know, you really ought to take what she said to heart," declared a deep, smooth voice. Its haunting familiarity sent a wave of goose bumps over Hatsuko's flesh. She tensed her muscles and turned stiffly to face him.

When Piccolo saw Hatsuko's face, his eyes widened. Her countenance was contorted with wrath. Her eyebrows came together forcefully over her piercing eyes. Her delicate lips were pulled into a horrible frown that caused the corners of her mouth to wrinkle. Her nose pulled upwards, creating little puckers of skin underneath her brow. A force that pulled at Piccolo's chi surfaced with the appearance of Hatsuko's rose-colored aura.

"Keep your mouth shut, Demon. If I want your opinion, I'll ask for it."


	12. Krillin vs Ma Junior Again

Chapter 12: Krillin vs. Ma Junior…Again

Piccolo was completely taken aback by Hatsuko's venomous warning. He remained speechless, his mouth slightly parted. Her energy faded as she passed him. Completely stunned, Piccolo found himself unable to respond.

_How…did she…? No. I can't trouble myself with this. I have to do as she says and be quiet. After the tournament, I'll demand she tell me the reason that she knows so much. Questioning her now would cause unnecessary disruption, _Piccolo thought. Sweat trickled slowly down his temples from his efforts to stabilize his chi. For some reason, Hatsuko's energy threw his own off-balance. He thought for a moment about its appearance. He had never seen anything like it before. The color was indeed foreign. However, its movement was most peculiar. Her chi seemed to flow around her like water.

Krillin's anxious voice brought Piccolo's attention back to his surroundings.

"Wow…_that _was weird, Piccolo. I'm telling you, there's something strange about her," he said as he cast a sideways glance at Hatsuko. Piccolo followed his gaze and saw that she was already meditating. He began to feel his blood coursing faster through his veins as his temper began to rise again. Swiftly, he clenched his fists in an effort to regain control of his energy once again. He turned to Krillin and felt his chi reach equilibrium.

"Let's not worry about it now. Instead, we should head outside. Our match is about to begin," Piccolo replied evenly.

"Oh, yeah, you're right," Krillin responded. He swallowed hard.

"Good luck you guys!"

Krillin and Piccolo turned around to see Goku giving them a thumbs-up. Piccolo nodded and turned to leave. Krillin smiled nervously and waved in response before following his opponent out into the sunshine.

"My bet's on the namek," Vegeta said huskily to no one in particular. Goku ignored him and moved closer to the stadium entrance for a better view. He rested both of his hands on his hips and watched his comrades walk side by side. He smiled.

As they made their way to the middle of the arena, Krillin and Piccolo were greeted by the announcer's introduction, which was drowned by cheers from the audience. Krillin caught a glimpse of his wife and daughter in the stands. He blushed and waved to them.

"I can't believe we have to fight each other again, Piccolo. You really did a number on me last time. I promise I won't be as much of a push-over as I was then," Krillin muttered as he recalled their last battle.

"You're stronger than you give yourself credit for, Krillin," Piccolo assured him. He raised a corner of his mouth in a friendly grin. "Good luck."

Krillin grinned back at Piccolo and then took his place in the arena. He readied himself by striking a fighting stance characteristic of the Turtle School. He began to summon his chi forth to create an even shield around his body. He had to be careful when he fought Piccolo, whose chi was extremely powerful. He also had to be alert at all times. If he let his concentration lapse for even a fraction of a second, he would be finished.

"Alright, fighters! Let's see who will win _this_ time! Ready…and, go!" The announcer's signal began a wave of applause to sound from the audience. Krillin's heart began to beat faster as he anticipated Piccolo's first move.

Piccolo recognized Krillin's familiar stance. He decided to skip the formalities and to begin promptly. His figure disappeared from view, which elicited a gasp from the spectators. Krillin was not in the least bit fazed. When Piccolo became visible again, he and Krillin were locked in the aftermath of an attack. Their forearms had collided. The warriors' body language suggested that they were not strained at all.

_They're feeling each other out,_ thought Hatsuko as she studied their faces. Krillin looked determined, while Piccolo's visage was collected and bland.

After a moment of recollection, the fighters disappeared yet again. Hatsuko's eyes darted around the stadium. Their chi moved so quickly that she began to get confused. She closed her eyes and at once her hearing became more acute. Piccolo was advancing on Krillin, who was guarding himself excellently. The sound of the audience made Hatsuko open her eyes again. The two fighters had become visible. They stood in the middle of the ring, where they had begun. Neither one seemed tired.

Piccolo's hands formed fists. His mind began to sort through different strategies that he could execute.

_Krillin has a tendency to surprise me when I shoot finishing moves at him. I think I should avoid doing that altogether…at least for now. The best thing to do is stick with hand-to-hand combat for as long as possible. I should use my speed to my advantage so he's forced to use some of his energy now. That way, I can minimize the chances of him escaping my chi blasts later on._

Krillin's hand trembled slightly as he watched Piccolo.

_Whatever Piccolo throws at me, I should just counter it. I don't think it's a good idea to go on the offensive too early. He'll over power me for sure…_

As soon as he was mentally prepared, Piccolo continued to attack. He unleashed an assault of punch combos aimed at Krillin's face. Without blinking, Krillin skillfully dodged every blow. He moved his feet backwards slowly. Piccolo followed him without touching his feet to the ground. He found that hovering gave him an advantage while in a physical fight. With his feet suspended, it was impossible for him to be tripped. This position also made it easier to withdraw from close combat quickly.

Hatsuko watched Krillin lead Piccolo around the stadium. She was beginning to grow impatient.

_Come on, Demon. Show me your real power…_

As if he had heard her, Piccolo stopped attacking Krillin and set himself down on the concrete. He motioned for Krillin to make a move.

Krillin answered his friend's request by rushing at his full speed. He clenched his jaw as he readied himself to throw all of his weight into a punch. He maneuvered his chi so that it filled his right hand, hardening its bones, muscles, and skin. Piccolo braced himself.

A flash of light came and went in an instant as the two fighters collided. Krillin's fist lay inside of Piccolo's. A light blue aura surrounded Piccolo's body and became exaggerated around the hand that had blocked Krillin's blow. They both stared each other down as they held their positions. Krillin winced as Piccolo tightened his grip. Before he could be overcome, Krillin retracted his fist and flung his legs into Piccolo's stomach.

Hatsuko watched as Piccolo flew backwards for a few feet. She shook her head slightly. The audience seemed to have a similar reaction. A gasp sounded through the stadium as Piccolo recovered and straightened himself up again. He smirked.

Instead of retaliating, Piccolo spat succinctly onto the ground. He then hoisted his weighted shoulder pads off of his body and threw them off of the platform. His turban followed suit. The hair on the back of Krillin's neck bristled as he recognized Piccolo's signature armor-removing ritual. This only happened when he fought seriously.

_No more games_, thought Krillin. He prepared himself by reinforcing his chi. A heavy aura surrounded his body. Piccolo noticed.

A bright gold blast whizzed towards Krillin followed by a small explosion. Krillin had countered Piccolo's chi blast with his own just in time. The on-lookers murmured to themselves in confusion. The blast had appeared as a stream of light. They could not see most of what was transpiring right before their eyes. The announcer seemed just as confused as they were, as he had completely refrained from commenting.

Suddenly, streams of chi flew towards each other. Each individual blast met with another. After a minute or so, the blasts ceased as the fighters took to the air. Krillin and Piccolo flew above the arena in complex patterns while simultaneously throwing occasional chi attacks at each other. In order to confuse his opponent, Krillin sent a searching chi blast in a group of 2 normal blasts that all went in separate directions.

Piccolo disappeared before two steams of energy collided where he had been. He flew higher so he could see what Krillin was about to do next. He suddenly detected a fast-approaching chi behind him. He sped away to avoid it, but it continued to follow him.

As his opponent dodged his attack, Krillin settled himself down towards the ground.

_If I can just get him to stay occupied for a few seconds, I can try to hit him with a Kamehameha. That might weaken him just enough to get me ahead, _thought Krillin as his eyes followed Piccolo's agile movements. He positioned his hands together down at his side in the signature Kamehameha pose.

"Ka…me…" he began under his breath.

Piccolo's ears twitched. Upon hearing Krillin's voice, he realized he needed to act fast. He stopped abruptly in the air and faced the advancing ball of energy that flew towards him. He pushed his chi forwards into the inner walls of his chest and abdominal cavities. His lips parted to expose his tightly clenched teeth as he braced himself.

"ha..."

A gust of wind and heat blew outwards from where Piccolo took the blast. A dust cloud swirled slowly around his shadowed shilluoette in the middle of the stadium. He had withstood the impact without damage.

"…me!"

Piccolo surged his chi outwards in one forceful effort to counter Krillin's impending attack. His arm muscles tingled as he his chi flowed quickly through them and into his hands. He lifted both of his arms up over his head, just as Gohan had earlier.

Hatsuko watched Piccolo's energy gather. She felt its force even from where she stood. She swallowed.

"Ma-senko…" he began.

"HA!" Krillin and Piccolo ended their verbal attacks as well as released their chi simultaneously. From Krillin's outstretched arms, a thick wave of blue barreled through the air. Piccolo's attack took a red tint this time. Both waves met in a dazzling display of color and heat. The audience shielded their faces in fear. A small section of people fled from their seats.

The blasts sizzled in midair for a moment. Suddenly, Piccolo's Ma-senko vanished. Krillin felt the tension break, so he released his Kamehameha into the sky. Before he could detect Piccolo's presence, a mass of energy crashed into his chest, hurtling him backward. Piccolo did not waste a second. To keep him from recovering, Piccolo spiked Krillin towards the ground with his entwined fists. Krillin's body met with the floor of the arena, breaking a few concrete tiles in the process. Piccolo lowered himself down onto into the ring so that he was right next to where his comrade had fallen.

Once the dust cleared, and Krillin was in plain view, the announcer began to count.

"1…2…3…4— Oh, it looks like Krillin's back in the game, folks! How about that! What stamina!" The crowd sat on the edge of their seats as they strained to see Krillin get up.

Krillin raised his hand. Piccolo lifted his brow in confusion.

"I forfeit," Krillin called to the announcer. The audience began to protest loudly at Krillin's declaration of defeat. "I can't go any longer…I'll fall apart," he said to Piccolo as he chuckled. Piccolo smiled and helped Krillin out of the hole he had made in the floor.

"You put up an excellent fight, Krillin," Piccolo congratulated.

"Hah, you too, Piccolo…too good of a fight, in fact." The two friends walked side by side back to the waiting room as the crowd roared protests behind them.

"Well, how about that, folks! That was quite a surprising conclusion to such a spectacular match! This concludes this round of the finals, but stay put! We are about to draw names for the final two matches of the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai! They will be announced in thirty minutes' time!"

Hatsuko trembled. She watched Piccolo and Krillin walk slowly over towards her and felt her pulse quicken.

_He wasn't using his full power…I know it. He was holding back on that Ma-senko. It was stronger than Krillin's blast, but he still withdrew it. How much power is he hiding? I wonder if I underestimated his strength. _

So as not to overstress herself, Hatsuko shook her head and discarded her worried thoughts from her mind. She turned around and returned to her corner.

_I'll meditate from now until my final match. I can't afford to lose my concentration._

She assumed her cross-legged posture on the floor and bowed her head. As her eyes closed, she exhaled. Her lungs inflated with new air. Hatsuko arranged her chi into the center of her chest. Her mind grew empty of thoughts and her energy stabilized with the rhythm of her heartbeat.

* * *

**The faint sound of a piano bounces off of wooden walls. The smell of pollen and ink saturates the air you breathe, but it does not overwhelm you. It is pleasant. Familiar. **

**A breeze dances around you, grazing your skin ever so gently. It ruffles your hair and tickles your nose. Sunshine warms you. You are comfortable. Safe.**

**As the sun sets, the light gives way to darkness. The sky remains clear, yet void of stars. Your vision is nothing but black. The warmth is gone. **

**Your skin begins to prickle. Your eyes move around in their sockets, but cannot detect any form. Something is there. Some invisible force causes your skin to crawl and your hair to stand upright. Your sensitivity is heightened. Small movements of air are suddenly detectable. Slight pressures become significant on the smallest areas of flesh. The force presses against every square inch of it, causing a strange sensation that sends a shiver down your spine. **

**Slowly, the darkness gives way to dim colors. The colors slide against each other as if they are alive. They grow sharp, giving way to form. A scene begins to play out:**

**The dark green face, contorted with sick pleasure, towers over an anonymous figure. A large clawed hand clenches around the helpless victim's throat. The hand's veins surge with blood as it tightens its grasp. The figure becomes limp and then withers away in the form of sand. A wind comes to carry it off into the distance. **

**A short figure with a moustache outstretches its hands before the green beast. Fear fills his energy and lifts its pressure off of you. A blinding green light causes your eyes to water. As the salty tears roll down your cheeks, the darkness enshrouds you again. **

**Pain.**

**Searing pain burns you. As you look for its source, you see it again. A perfect hole in your midsection. It rots you from the inside out. Blood tickles down the corner of your mouth. You feel a lump in your throat. Before you can choke it down, you drown again. **

* * *

Hatsuko gasped. While panting heavily, she grabbed her throat with a shaking hand. Her vision was heavily blurred, so she shut her eyes again.

_When will these stop?_

After a few minutes, Hatsuko's body resumed her normal, calm state. Her chi was safely back to where it was when she began her meditation. She let her hold on her throat go. She wiped a layer of perspiration off of her forehead with the back of her hand. The booming projection of the announcer's voice made her jump.

"Welcome back, folks! The last two final matches of the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai will begin shortly! Again, this is the lineup:

Match 1: Ma Junior vs. Hatsuko

Match 2: Goku vs. Vegeta

I hope you're all ready for some intense action, because it's coming your way…right…NOW!"


	13. The Fated Battle

Chapter 13: The Fated Battle

Note: 魔= "Ma" or devil; demon

This is Piccolo Daimao's signature in Dragonball (for anyone who doesn't already know)

As the words of the announcer's broadcast processed in her brain, Hatsuko's heart responded by beating faster.

_It's…finally time_, she thought while stealing a glance at Piccolo. He had his back turned to her near the entrance to the stadium. He seemed to be talking to his friends. Hatsuko swallowed and shut her eyes.

"Now, let's begin our first match! Hatsuko vs. Ma Junior!"

Cheers and applause echoed off of the walls of the stadium. Hatsuko used the enthusiasm as motivation to get up off the floor and start the battle that she had been waiting for so long to fight. She walked slowly towards him. He was now alone, making his way into the ring. She focused on the back of his head.

Piccolo took his place in the middle of the arena. He looked focused and serious, as usual. Hatsuko mirrored his facial expression perfectly. The two fighters seemed to be of a similar mindset. The announcer reminisced briefly about Piccolo's past performance in the Budokai in the final rounds. Hatsuko tried with all her might to muffle his voice with her mind as it processed inside of her ears. Then, all thoughts left her. Her eyes locked with Piccolo's. Their color was a deep, solid black. He never blinked; neither did she.

The announcer had long since finished his introduction. The crowd had cheered to signal the beginning of the fight. Now, the stadium was hushed. All eyes were on the two warriors staring each other down in the arena.

"Why aren't they fighting?" Krillin muttered to himself. He was seated up in the stadium next to his family. Number 18 sat next to him. Her arms and legs were crossed. She was studying Hatsuko intently.

Piccolo took care not to move a muscle or flex his chi in even the slightest way. He lost himself in the color of her eyes. Their smoky blue-gray hue seemed to swirl in her irises. His mind was empty. Finally, he noticed that she had caved. Her eyebrow twitched. In that instant, Piccolo knew it was time to attack.

Disappearing from view, Piccolo fled and reappeared on Hatsuko's left side. Her eyes snapped to his form instantly, guiding her body into a defensive block that shielded her from his sly blow. Piccolo, now a few inches above the ground, returned her block with several elaborate kicks. Each one seemed to be easily evaded by Hatsuko, who was showing no signs of fatigue at all.

When he was through testing her reaction speed, Piccolo set himself down on the arena floor a few yards away. Not once did the pairs' eyes leave each other.

Hatsuko inhaled deeply as she struck a fighting pose that she knew well. She noticed that when she did so, Piccolo squinted.

All at once, she attacked him. Her speed mesmerized him so that he could not keep up at first. He narrowly escaped a few weak blows from her hands, which were outstretched with her fingers glued together and her thumbs carefully tucked into her palms. Hatsuko was not trying to harm him. She wanted to see how fast he was.

"Well, look at them go, folks! Well, _if you can_…" The announcer trailed off. He could not tell exactly where they were, but he had some idea. The sound of their movements was quite audible. Their clothing shone in the sunlight as well, especially Piccolo's bright white cape.

The two became still again. Both were poised and still staring at each other. Piccolo's knees were bent, indicating that he was on his guard. Hatsuko leaned on one leg and held her arms at the ready, wielding fists.

After a moment of staring they began to spar again. Their movements were again too fast for anyone to see. The audience began to talk amongst themselves nervously.

"Heh, well one can only guess what these two are doing! They seem to be disappearing every time they fight!"

Goku sighed at the announcer's words.

"Man, Vegeta. They've been doing this for about fifteen minutes now. What do you think is up?"

The prince's arms were crossed. He pursed his lips as he watched the fight.

"I don't know, Kakarrot, but I'm getting impatient. They're both holding back and right now they're just toying with each other and the rest of us. If I was out there, I would have started blasting her a long time ago. That Namek is just wasting his time," he said without bothering to look at Goku.

Hatsuko swiftly jerked her upper body from side to side as Piccolo fired his fists at her. She felt the air moving in rhythms with his punches. Her opportunity had come.

Piccolo's connection with his opponent's gaze abruptly ended as her body suddenly fell. His eyes told him that he had successfully punched her, but he had not felt anything. Before he had time to search for where she was, a force collided with his jaw, sending his whole upper body hurtling forward. His strong legs kept him from flying through the air. He merely stumbled before realizing a spatter of blood had landed on the ground in front of him.

Hatsuko collected herself and stood up straight behind Piccolo as she waited for him to recover. She noticed that his blood was purple.

"Urrnnnnnghh," Piccolo grunted as he popped his jaw back into its place. He turned around slowly to face her. He met her eyes once again. This time, he saw a glimpse of triumph in them. He wrinkled his nose and bared his teeth. He suddenly stood up rigidly straight to his full height. He grabbed his collar forcefully and yanked it above his head. In one swift movement, he threw his armor off to the side along with his turban. He moved his head from side to side to crack his neck.

Hatsuko watched his display of macho arrogance with disgust.

_Just come at me. Enough of this nonsense…_

As if he heard her, Piccolo tensed his muscles. Hatsuko could see them bulging from his loosely fitting uniform. A few veins swelled on the surface of his skin, showing the blood flowing through them with each pulse of his heart. A bright light blue aura of chi leaked out of his pores and surrounded him, deepening in color with every second. He opened his mouth as he yelled.

"HaahhhhhhhhhHH!!!" Piccolo's chi became immense within only a short amount of time. It developed into a flaring mass of light that seemed tangible. It radiated from him in waves, reaching an apex that pointed towards the sky.

When he was finished summoning chi from deep within his chest, Piccolo knew his time to attack had come again. Before Hatsuko could prepare herself, Piccolo's silhouette disappeared from view. Her heart skipped a beat as she struggled to sense where he had gone.

_There it is!_ She thought as the presence materialized above her. Hatsuko quickly directed her attention to the sky. Instead of finding Piccolo, a bright blue beam of energy descended down upon her. She was quick to get out of the way, but did not leave unscathed. The chi had grazed her neck. A searing pain struck her, eliciting feelings of anxiety and panic.

_ This energy is incredible._ _If I had taken that full force, there would have been nothing of me left_, she thought as she nimbly flipped around the stadium to avoid Piccolo's subsequent chi attacks. He was rampantly firing them while trying to keep up with her speed.

Hatsuko landed in a kneeling position. She looked straight ahead to see Piccolo charging at her with an energy ball clutched in his powerful hand. His face was devoid of any emotion. As he raced through the air, Hatsuko readied herself to counter. She outstretched both of her arms to her sides and pushed a massive amount of chi into them. She felt them toughening to hundreds of times their normal density. At the same time that Piccolo extended his arm wielding the energy ball, Hatsuko met him with both arms extended in front of her at their full length. When the two fighters collided, a bright explosion of blue and pink chi emanated from them.

Smoke arose after the collision and when it finally disappeared, Hatsuko was nowhere to be seen. Piccolo stood up and sharpened his senses. He detected her spirit at once. He shifted his body to face her. She was standing at the opposite end of the arena. Her stance was calm and collected, as if no confrontation had taken place. She merely stared at him as she had before. He returned her glare.

Hatsuko's fists were balled up tightly. Her arms were tingling from the shock of Piccolo's attack. His chi was stronger than she had ever anticipated it to be. Her aura surrounded her and pulsated slightly. She stood her ground.

_Why isn't she doing anything?_ thought Piccolo as he watched her. He took a few tentative steps forward. He waited for her to make a move. When she failed to, he bent his knees into a defensive stance. He extended his hand to invite her to attack first. She remained still.

_ Alright, what is this all about?_ _She can't possibly think that she can just toy with me! _

"Well, are you going to fight or not?" Piccolo called out to his opponent. The audience began to murmur with anticipation when they heard him speak.

Hatsuko, upon hearing his voice, felt her chi flicker. She fought to keep it under control while she concentrated on his face.

"Look, I don't have all day! If you intend to fight, then let's begin!" Piccolo was growing impatient. Her arrogant behavior had irked him from the very beginning. He could not help but see the resemblance between her poor fighting manner and his at a young age. His temper brewed.

"I demand that you attack me at once!"

Both of Piccolo's hands formed fists now. The veins in his head throbbed with anger. His muscles were so tense that they caused his entire body to quake.

A roar erupted from his throat when she still did not respond. He rushed at her at full speed. She remained collected even as he closed in on her. Before he could reach her, he lost sight of her form. Stunned, Piccolo stopped flying. Hatsuko was gone again. Suddenly, she appeared right in front of him. Her nose was almost touching his. Startled, he recoiled. His eyes were wide with confusion and his teeth ground into each other.

Hatsuko narrowed her eyes. She spoke in a strange tongue that Piccolo understood immediately as his own language.

"_I know you, Piccolo Daimao. I know not how you are still alive or the reason you have been so difficult for me to locate for all these years. I have come to destroy you for all the pain you have caused. Prepare yourself_." Piccolo's mouth became dry. Her voice echoed around in his head. The familiar words stunned him.

_How is this possible? Who is this?_

Hatsuko's chi flared out of her body, blowing her hair straight up into the air and then twisting it around itself. The bandages on her forearms came off and wrapped themselves around her hair again to tie it away from her face. She cut the ends off by yanking her arms downwards.

_I'll give him a taste of his own medicine._

Slowly, Hatsuko removed her overcoat. She took her arms out of the wide, heavy sleeves and let the coat fall down her torso. An obi kept it in place, which she removed manually. The dark cloth fell gracefully to the ground.

Piccolo swallowed. He noticed that she wore a make-shift top of thickly bound cloth bandages, much like the ones covering her forearms. Her skin gleamed in the sunlight.

Hatsuko built her chi up again to form a highly concentrated aura. The air around her became blisteringly hot. Piccolo's jaw dropped. He was lost for words. Instead, he tried to match her power with his own energy. Before he could think of an attack, Hatsuko punched him square in the face. As Piccolo flew through the air from the blow, he gathered more energy around him. He recovered promptly. She had gone from a position roughly ten yards away from him to punching him. He could not read her movement at all.

Hatsuko readied herself for Piccolo's return. She met him in midair with a spinning kick. The two attacked and blocked each other swiftly in the air for a few moments. During their exchange, Piccolo noticed something on the back of Hatsuko's right shoulder. He strained his eyes to see it whenever she turned her back on him during combat. Finally, the struggle came to a halt.

Hatsuko could tell that Piccolo was preoccupied so she pulled back. She took her place a good distance away from him and crossed her arms. Piccolo faced her. He sighed and then decided he would find what he wanted without asking. He was through being polite. He disappeared and rematerialized right behind her. Then, he saw it: 魔

Piccolo was taken aback yet again. He let out a gasp. Hatsuko responded by turning around and kicking him in the stomach. Piccolo doubled over as saliva spewed from his gaping mouth. She had the mark of the demon inscribed on her flesh.


	14. The Fated Battle: Conclusion

Chapter 14: The Fated Battle: Conclusion

_This is…impossible!_ Piccolo was at a complete loss as to what to make of Hatsuko. She seemed to want him dead, yet she spoke his language and bore the mark of his clan on her back shoulder. None of it made sense.

Without giving Piccolo time to recover, Hatsuko unleashed several fierce blows that successfully hit their mark. Piccolo fell onto his back. He panted heavily. Trickles of blood fell slowly from his gaping mouth.

_What a pathetic sight, _thought Hatsuko. She stopped attacking him and looked up at the announcer, who began to count promptly. But before he reached 4, Piccolo was back on his feet again.

He stood up. His shoulders drooped slightly and his head was lowered. Unblinking, he stared at his opponent with what seemed to be utter loathing. Hatsuko responded by extending a finger, inviting him to attack her back. Piccolo's face contorted with rage and revealed his sharp teeth once again.

Hatsuko dove to meet his attack. They swiftly exchanged deadly punches that caused massive disturbances in the air whenever they collided. Piccolo finally ended the quarrel by sneaking a chi blast into the mix that sent Hatsuko flying backwards through the air. Piccolo met her before she could recover with a kick to her back which sent her flying in the opposite direction. She rebounded the second time with a few energy attacks of her own. Piccolo blocked them easily. When he met the last ball of pink chi with his hand, Hatsuko's foot met his face. Piccolo's body flew towards the ground in a backwards diagonal from where he had been hovering. As he fell, he opened one of his eyes to see her speeding towards him, readying herself to drive him into the ground. He knew exactly what to do.

With one forceful effort, Piccolo flung his arms forward so hard that his skin and muscle loosened. His arms stretched outwards to meet Hatsuko, whose eyes widened when she realized what was happening. She had no time. Piccolo's elongated arms grabbed her by the neck and yanked her towards the ground as they retracted quickly. Hatsuko barreled downwards. She struggled to free herself from his grasp, but his hold was too strong.

Just when the audience expected to see the bottom of the arena floor explode with the force of Hatsuko's fall, silence fell. A cloud of dust particles encircled the area where the two fighters had been. When everything was clear, Hatsuko was seen standing towards the edge of the ring with both hands outstretched and her body hunched over with fatigue. Her upper body rose and fell as she panted.

Piccolo's form was revealed as well. He was down on his knees, supporting himself with one arm; the other arm completely shielding his face. He seemed to be covered in minor burns.

"Wow! Incredible, folks! It seems that Hatsuko somehow escaped Ma Juniors' clutches and gave him a beating in the process! I can't believe the speed these two are working at! It's completely mind-boggling!" The announcer relished in the excitement of this battle. He thought back to the way the Budokai had used to be before Mr. Satan started competing. Goku and his friends had always proved to be major sources of fighting entertainment before that. He was happy to see the true Budokai spirit back in action.

Piccolo removed his arm from his face and swallowed. Before Hatsuko could prepare herself, she found herself face-to-face with a blue beam of energy. It hit her full force and knocked her onto her back. Before she could open her eyes, she felt two large hands pin her arms to the floor. Her legs were soon crushed with an overbearing weight as well. Her wavering vision revealed Piccolo's green face inches away from her own. His antennae brushed her forehead lightly, sending fearful chills down her spine. She gritted her teeth as she fought to break free. It was no use.

Piccolo's mouth formed a frown as he felt her muscles tense in an effort to escape his grasp. He furrowed his brow and cleared his mind. He knew what to say to her now:

"_I will defeat you, and when I do, your life will be spared only so you can disclose all of your answers to my questions. If you do not comply, I will force you to. Your power is great, but I assure you that it will not be enough to defeat me."_

Hatsuko heard the Namekian words clearly, but her vision was still a bit blurred from the blow she took when her head hit the concrete. She pulled all of the energy she could muster from her chest up into her throat. She felt it accumulating and burning her from the inside. She released it, opening her mouth wide as it erupted in a thick wave of heat. Piccolo escaped narrowly. After Hatsuko saw the beam pass into the atmosphere, she found Piccolo hovering up above her. She became furious with him.

_That green bastard! Who does he think he is?! I've trained all my life for this moment and he dares to tell me that I will not defeat him! He doesn't know all that I have sacrificed in my life! He cannot know all the pain he has caused me! I must destroy him!! I must show him the extent of my anger!!!_

Hatsuko's energy supply was dwindling from when she had begun to fight, but the remnants were still of a massive quantity. She summoned all of it, bringing it into her arms. She yelled loudly and charged Piccolo, hurling herself straight upwards with her arms clenched downwards at her sides. Her aura was stronger and more visually brilliant than ever.

Piccolo noticed that her temper had risen. She had remained calm and collected until now. He knew that this was the end for her. He waited for her to reach him. When she did, she hurled a massive chi attack aimed at his chest. Her fist hurtled through the air. When it appeared that she met her target, she instead felt a crushing force hit her stomach. Her torso reverted backwards before the rest of her body followed. She felt a few ribs crack under the impact of the blow. Blood spewed from her open mouth as she fell swiftly towards the ground. She crashed heavily into the concrete while shattering several tiles in the process.

Piccolo followed her to the ground, keeping his eyes glued to her motionless body. He landed next to her gently.

The announcer began to count hesitantly. As the numbers rang in his oversized ears, Piccolo assessed the damage he had caused. Hatsuko lay in a hole that took her shape. Her head faced the side away from him. She was covered in bloody wounds from the impact of the fall. Her arms were sprawled out above her head and her palms lay open facing the sky.

_She's finished._

As soon as the announcer finished saying "nine", Hatsuko disappeared. Piccolo snapped to attention, bending his knees defensively.

"Huh?! What the--?" Before he could finish his thought aloud, an unbelievable force sent him flying forwards towards the edge of the ring. A numbing pain shot through his back.

_How did she…? She's relentless!_

Piccolo refused to let her get another shot in. He mustered all of the chi he could within the span of a few seconds to hurl himself back in the direction of Hatsuko's energy. He automatically flew to her like the two of them had become magnetized.

When Hatsuko felt Piccolo's energy approaching, she immediately attempted to escape. She began to disappear but before she could do so, she felt two hands grab a hold of her ankles.

"What?!" she gasped. Before she could say anything more, she was sent flying high into the air. Piccolo had flung her as hard as he could. Hatsuko began to summon chi into her hand to shoot back at her opponent, but before she could gather enough, a searing pain tore through her chest.

Piccolo, still hovering below her, was poised with his right arm outstretched in front of him. His index and middle fingers were extended and from them jutted a massive golden spiral of his entire usable chi supply. The atmosphere burned as it radiated outwards with incredible speed. Hatsuko was immobilized above him as the beam skewered her. Piccolo at last let the attack go. Hatsuko's limp body fell towards him. He extended his arms and caught her instead of letting her fall to the ground again. He looked down at her. She bore a gaping circular wound on her chest near her right clavicle. He dove down towards the arena.

He landed softly next to the announcer, who gawked at him.

"I forfeit the rest of the tournament. I'm going to treat her wounds. If you would like proof, I will bring her back in a few hours' time." Piccolo hurled himself into the air at top speed, leaving a hot trail of chi in his wake. The announcer stood speechless, rooted to his spot.

~ Sorry for the delay, guys!! I just finished school for the semester so I will have more time to update. I hope this battle left you satisfied! Thanks for reading, and check out my devinatArt page! ~ ^-^


	15. Answers

Chapter 15: Answers

**Beautiful harmonizing voices sing to you in a strange language. Somehow, their words are familiar and nostalgic. The rise and fall of the notes calm you. You are safe. You are home. **

**The song begins to fade. As it drifts off into the distance, you detect a new presence. This energy is heavy and unstable. There is a nervous, indirect rage in this presence. Your heart beats as the anxiety takes over your energy as well. **

**Piccolo Daimao's son stands before a crowd of a few hundred spectators. His face, the same handsome and vengeful face as before, smirks darkly at his opponent, a young Son Goku. **

**The crowd begins to scream. Thunder roars overhead for only an instant. **

**Darkness falls.**

**Then, your heart begins to race. Sweat leaks endlessly from your pores, giving your skin a slimy feel. Your eyes burn as the perspiration runs into them. The fists of your opponent rocket towards you until you successfully block them. Suddenly, you see an opening in their defense. You knock them off balance and grab their arms forcefully. They try to break free, but you strengthen your hold on them. Their arms break. You feel their energy plunge to almost nothing. Suddenly, they disappear. Jerking your head around in a frantic, you attempt to find them. Their energy builds up again, and you finally locate them. You see them standing about 200 yards away in a horrible hunching posture, their broken arms dangling out in front of their body. With every second, their aura builds. The air becomes increasingly hot. Their long mahogany hair blows in the wind along with their pink chi. Your heart beats faster as you see their fingers begin to move. Then, their whole hands flex; then, their forearm muscles. Finally, their arms seem to be repaired. They stand up to their full height again. Their long hair blows away from their face, which is the same as your own, only it is marked with the determination to exterminate. **

**Quickly, you build your own chi up to its fullest capacity. The energy whips your hair and clothing back and forth around your body. Your opponent exposes her tightly clenched teeth. She is coming back for more. **

**All at once, she rushes to you and collides forcefully with you. Her shoulder bores into your left rib cage, sending pain throughout your core. You gasp for air and attempt to counter, but she refuses to allow you to escape the pain. Her chi overcomes your own and burns your flesh, making your mind unsteady. You lose control over your own chi and give into her brutal beating. More ribs crack under the weight of her dense bones and muscles. Her foot breaks your jaw and pops it out of place. Your eyes water from the pain. **

**She is done now. You lay helplessly in the dirt. Your body is ravaged, but you still fight to steady your energy. It's your turn. She waits a short distance away from you, watching your every move. **

**You roll onto your back. Your insides burn and blister. Despite the agony, you find the strength to put your hand on your upper abdomen. You shoot your chi through your arm into your abdomen, find your shattered insides and bind them back into place. Your eyes wince tighter and tighter together as the pain surges through you. **

**Your opponent watches your aura grow in intensity with every repair that you make. They smirk darkly and then spit a small amount of bloody saliva onto the ground. **

* * *

The lookout came into Piccolo's view as he ascended with blinding speed through the atmosphere. He squinted.

_Dende, can you hear me? I need you to heal this fighter. She's badly injured and only you can heal her fast enough. I'll be there in a matter of seconds._

The young namekian on the lookout that Piccolo was approaching raised his brow when the familiar deep voice sounded in his mind. He nodded and began to build up his chi quickly.

_Got it, Piccolo. Bring her here._

Dende knew about Hatsuko and how bad her injuries were, but he had also been keeping an eye on the rest of the earth and all of its happenings while Piccolo made his way to the lookout. He was thankful that Piccolo reminded him about the matter before their arrival.

Piccolo reached the lookout and halted his body in midair a few feet above its glossy white tiled floor. He then set himself down right outside of an exotic palace. This was the palace of Kami, the god of Earth, or Dende. Dende ran to meet his comrade, followed by a short genie with black skin and pointed ears, Mr. Popo. Piccolo stole a quick glance at Hatsuko, who lay limp in his arms. Her wound was still bleeding profusely. He was still amazed that he had managed to hit her with such a fatal attack. He thought she would have escaped his every move no matter how quick he tried to be. A pang of guilt spread through him suddenly, as he realized that she could have died if he did not have Dende to heal her. He would have murdered her.

"Set her down here, Piccolo. I'm ready," Dende said calmly. He was a very gifted namek who had the power to heal any ailment or loss of chi in a living being by giving them some of his own. He also had the power to create dragonballs, which he used to repair and enhance the ones on Earth very recently. Goku intelligently suggested that Dende become the new Kami of Earth when Piccolo (or, rather, his other half/uncle) relinquished his position to become one with Piccolo in his attempt to defeat the monster Cell. Goku's judgment was sound; Dende had become an excellent Kami.

Piccolo sighed as he watched Dende work. Hatsuko lay on the tiled floor while Dende placed his hands inches from her body. He targeted her chest and legs to evenly distribute his chi. His energy was colorless. It appeared as an intense white light. Unlike chi used in battle, his was not high in temperature. It was moderate and soothing in feel, like a warm bath. Piccolo's eyelids slid down halfway over his eyes as he felt fatigue wash over him. The match and the successive trip to the lookout had drained his energy significantly.

After a few moments, Dende gradually decreased his energy output until it stopped completely. Hatsuko remained unconscious, but her wound was completely healed. However, a deep and rather unappealing scar was left in its place. Dende stared at it as he attempted to catch his breath.

"I tried to get rid of the scar tissue, but I couldn't," he said in a concerned tone.

Piccolo fought to keep his eyes open. He inhaled deeply and shook his head.

"It's alright, Dende. As long as she's restored to her full heath, nothing else matters."

Dende responded with a nod. Before he could say anything, Piccolo picked Hatsuko up once again and carried her into the palace. He walked through the entryway and down a long corridor. He turned into the first room on his right, which had no door. It was a large, open room surrounded by courtyards that were flooded with the afternoon sunlight. The walls were white, just like the floor. He found one wall that was shaded. He shifted Hatsuko in his arms so that one of his hands was free. He extended it in front of him and opened his palm. He pictured a futon in his mind and used his chi to project it through his hand to the space in front of him. In a matter of seconds, a futon had materialized against the dark wall, complete with a pillow and a blanket. He set Hatsuko down on it and covered her with the blanket. He then walked slowly out of the room to his own room, which was deeper into the palace.

Before he reached the door to his room, he heard Dende's voice in his head.

_I have a few questions for you._ Piccolo sighed and turned the doorknob.

_I'll be out in a moment. In the meantime, can you keep an eye on her? I need to know when she awakens._

Dende nodded and headed toward the room that Hatsuko was sleeping in.

* * *

**You struggle to dodge the energy beams being fired at you from left to right. The air is hot and heavy. In an incredible burst of speed, you flee from your position and attack your opponent from behind. **

**He quickly realizes you are behind him and counters your assault with one of his own. A bright beam of chi cuts through your chest. You feel blood gush out from your fresh wound. Your body begins to tingle as all feeling leaves your senses. **

**How can this be?**

**You were supposed to purge evil from the Earth and you have failed. **

**Now, you die.**

**Your vision blurs and you see him smile. His pointed teeth become visible as his lips draw away from them. His chi crushes your bones. You crumble underneath the pressure and then fall down to the ground…**

* * *

Streams of perspiration ran down the sides of Hatsuko's face as her dream came to a close. Her eyes moved about frantically in their sockets and her teeth noisily ground into each other. The tendons in her neck stood out beneath her flushed skin as if they were being pulled taught from end to end.

Dende sat next to her on the floor cross-legged. He watched her with a furrowed brow.

_She seems perturbed even in sleep…_ Piccolo heard Dende's thought and answered by entering the room calmly. Dende did not bother to turn around to greet him. He continued to stare at Hatsuko.

Piccolo stood for a moment next to Dende and looked down at Hatsuko as well. She began to relax her teeth grinding a bit, but she was still extremely tense. Piccolo decided to let her sleep for a little while longer. He sat down.

"Where do you think she came from?" Dende said finally.

Piccolo shook his head.

"I can't be sure, but I think that she is most likely from Earth. She knows of my father's name and his history. She has the mark of the demon clan on her back. I do not understand, however, how she can possibly know Namekian."

Dende gasped. He turned towards Piccolo in a frantic.

"She knows Namekian?? How is that possible? Unless she has visited our home planet or has met a Namekian, which is very unlikely, there is no way she could have learned it!"

Piccolo frowned.

"Unless…she isn't from Earth," he said darkly as he shifted his eyes to Dende. "We cannot be sure unless we ask. She has treated me with nothing but hostility thus far, but I think if we show her that we can be trusted, she will answer our inquiries. If not for that reason, the fact that we saved her life might convince her." He returned his gaze to Hatsuko. She was no longer grinding her teeth. She was muttering nonsense out loud to someone in her dream, no doubt.

Suddenly, Hatsuko's eyes shot open and their pupils shrunk to miniscule dots. She gasped for air and heaved her upper body off the futon. Her hair lay in disarray around her sweaty face. Her eyes were wide with fear and tears streamed from them unwillingly. She fought hard to slow her heart's frantic beating.

Dende and Piccolo were taken aback by her awakening. They shrunk back from the futon to give her some space. As her breathing slowed, and she began to stabilize her chi, they relaxed. Piccolo composed himself and stood up to his full height.

Hatsuko noticed movement in her periphery so she instinctively turned towards it and guarded herself. She ended in a poised crouch with her two fists at the ready. She looked anxiously from Piccolo to Dende and back again.

Piccolo was the first to speak.

"Welcome. You are currently at Kami's Look Out high above the earth. Your wound is healed."

Hatsuko's brows pulled down slightly as she processed what was being said to her. She swallowed.

"I have questions for you, Hatsuko. Where are you from? How do you know who my father is? Why do you have his mark on your back? How do you know my language?" Piccolo ended his long list of questions and stared into her eyes menacingly. He was determined to get this information out of her.

Hatsuko refrained from speaking. She did not move an inch.

When his questions failed to elicit a response from Hatsuko, Piccolo growled and clenched his fists. His muscles tensed as he began to grow angry. He was sick of this girl disrespecting him. He forcefully thrust his upper body downwards so that he was closer to Hatsuko's level. He brandished a fist in front of him and gritted his teeth.

"Errrrrrgghhhh! Answer me!!" he roared.

Hatsuko withdrew from Piccolo as he closed in on her. She grew more and more nervous with each passing moment. In an attempt to defend herself she swung her leg at Piccolo's head, but he blocked her with his forearm. Hatsuko fled so fast from the room that Dende did not know that she left until Piccolo followed her. Within a second, Hatsuko was already outside the palace. She hovered above the tiled floor of the lookout grounds. Mr. Popo looked up from his watering jug when he realized there was an active, foreign chi moving about.

Hatsuko's eyes darted to and fro, searching for a flash of green. When it did not appear, she laid eyes on the far side of the palace. She sped to it and set herself flat against the outside wall of the palace. Its cold surface felt good against her hot skin. She tried as hard as she possibly could to muffle the sound of her breathing. She did not want to give herself away to Piccolo's large, overly-sensitive ears. A few minutes passed and Hatsuko began to think that Piccolo left to search for her elsewhere—

BAM!!

A green arm appeared inches from her nose. Hatsuko let out a yell of surprise. She whipped her head around to see Piccolo's face almost touching her own. She gasped and instinctively lifted her feet off of the floor by bending her knees and anchoring her feet flat against the wall. She held herself up with her chi. Piccolo had her pinned to the wall with both of his arms on either side of her. His feet were planted firmly on the ground, but because of his height, they were nose-to-nose.

Sensing Hatsuko's imminent attack, Piccolo spoke quickly in the most assuring tone he could muster.

"Don't be afraid. I know you have some sort of preconceived notion of my character and intentions, but I just want to ask you a few questions. Dende and I promise not to harm you. We've already saved your life. You would have died if I hadn't taken you here so he could heal you. All we want is your answers to our questions. I promise to return you to the tournament. They are awaiting your arrival by the end of the day."

Hatsuko absorbed Piccolo's reassurances and began to claw the wall with her fingernails. She decided to oblige his request as payment for saving her life.

"Fine," she answered curtly. Piccolo removed his palms from the wall and began to walk back into the palace to where Dende was. Hatsuko panted heavily and set herself down on the floor so she could follow him.

Piccolo led her into the room where she had been sleeping. Dende was waiting for them. He looked worried.

Hatsuko, whose nerves were finally settling down, examined Piccolo as she followed him. His tattered gi seemed to be repaired and his wounds from their battle were gone. She wished that she felt as refreshed as he looked.

Hatsuko sighed heavily when she reached Dende. She did not want to have to explain herself to these two nameks. She was not planning on telling anyone at the tournament anything. All she wanted to do was kill Piccolo Daimao and leave without a trace.

Dende sensed the anxiety in Hatsuko's chi so he immediately suggested that they move to a more comfortable room. Piccolo looked at Dende questioningly. Dende answered with a slight flush of his cheeks. He was not accustomed to having guests at the Look Out, especially ones who were being interrogated. He led Piccolo and Hatsuko into the dining room. It was open, just like the last room, to a courtyard. The walls were stark white as well. Dende motioned for them to sit at a table. The table was of a modest size. Just as Hatsuko sat down, she heard the footsteps of someone approaching.

"Would anyone like anything to drink?" asked a deep, strange voice that Hatsuko had never heard before.

Dende turned around to answer Mr. Popo.

"Sure, I'll take some water, Mr. Popo. Would you two like anything? It is a bit hot out today, even at this altitude."

Piccolo merely nodded. Hatsuko hesitated for a few moments, wondering what she should ask for.

"Uhm…do you have any iced tea?" she asked quietly.

Mr. Popo smiled jovially and bowed.

"Why yes, of course. Coming right up." He left the dining room through a swinging door that Hatsuko assumed led to a kitchen.

Dende sat down at the table. His facial expression became serious as he waited for Piccolo to speak.

"So, I'll ask you the questions one at a time if it's easier," Piccolo said carefully. He kept his gaze averted from Hatsuko so as not to intimidate her. He tried to make her feel comfortable so she would tell them everything. He wanted not one scrap of information kept from him. "First, how do you know about my father?"

Hatsuko stared into the table as she collected her thoughts.

_Here goes_, she thought.

"Well, I must say that I never saw your father with my own eyes. I've only seen him in my mind. Also, I did not know that he was your father until I met you at the tournament. Before I saw that your faces were different, I could have sworn you were the same person."

Piccolo unconsciously shifted his upper body towards her with interest; he kept his focus on her mouth as she spoke.

"My adoptive parents died of the same unknown illness when I was young. Almost immediately after they died, I began to have horrible nightmares whenever I tried to go to sleep. They were so gruesome and disturbing that I could not bring myself to fall asleep. I would stay up as long as I could until I passed out from exhaustion. My nightmares were of your father murdering countless civilians, though I did not know his identity at the time. I merely thought of him as a green monster with pointed ears."

Piccolo's skin crawled. All his life Earthlings had feared his appearance for the exact same reason. At first glance, they categorized him as a monster. Unfortunately, he did indeed become one. He clenched his jaw.

"After a few months of attempting to stop the nightmares and failing," Hatsuko continued, "I decided to try a new approach. I began to meditate. For a while, the meditation helped a great deal. It acted as a kind of sleep replacement. Instead of sleeping, I would meditate for eight hours a day. My heart slowed and my brain shut down enough to rest, but I trained myself to remain conscious so I wouldn't dream. Unfortunately, this remedy did not help for long. Soon, I started to see visions during my meditation. They were just as horrific as my previous nightmares, only more vivid. In fact, they were much worse. After some time, I learned to accept them. What was interesting was my visions of your father were never the same. Each one was a different event. After I witnessed his horrible massacres of innocents across Earth, I saw into his private life with his servants and his monstrous offspring. I also saw his fights against the great martial arts masters. I witnessed his defeat as well," she said as she looked at Piccolo.

Piccolo met her gaze and smirked. If she had seen how his father was defeated, then she most likely saw his birth as well.

Hatsuko responded to Piccolo's facial expression with more of her story.

"I paid close attention to the battles that your father faught. Don't you think it's a little odd that I used some of your fighting moves?"

Piccolo's smirk fell from his face. He thought back to their match and realized Hatsuko was right. She had used some of the demon clan fighting style, as well as some namekian fighting moves. He realized at the time but pushed it out of his mind because he was so focused on countering her.

_Very interesting…_ He thought to himself.

Hatsuko smiled.

"Oh, and to answer another of your questions: I inscribed the demon mark on my back because at the time, I thought my visions were disconnected with reality. I had seen the mark several times in my mind and knew that it stood for your father. It became my goal in life to understand my visions and to make sense of them. It was my obsession for years following my parents' deaths. I stayed in my house meditating all the time. I wrote about what I saw in my visions and dreams day after day, trying to string the scenes together chronologically. The mark was a symbol of something I had to overcome: a demon, a dark force over which I had to conquer."

Piccolo swallowed. He noticed that Hatsuko's gaze was glued to the table's surface again.

Mr. Popo swung the kitchen door open suddenly, causing Hatsuko to jump. He brought Dende and Piccolo two tall glasses of ice water and Hatsuko a glass of iced tea.

"Thank you very much," she said.

"You're very welcome, my dear," Mr. Popo said with a grin. He bowed again and then left the palace.

"So, how did you know my father's name if you had only seen him in your visions and dreams?" Piccolo asked after taking a sip of his water.

Hatsuko wrapped her hand around her iced tea glass and enjoyed the cool feel of it on her palm.

"I happened to stumble upon some of my father's old newspaper clippings. You see, he was a scientist and had mountains and mountains of papers stowed in our basement. I used to assist him in his research. I'll come back to that in a moment. But, one day, I was looking through a pile of boxes and found his binder full of newspaper articles that he thought were worth keeping. He kept everything in chronological order. So naturally, I searched for articles about my birth day. I found one. The title read: 'Piccolo Daimao Slayed on Piccolo Day by Young Boy'. That's when I saw his photograph. I recognized his face immediately and almost dropped the book. I was shocked to learn that the monster from my visions was real and that he had actually done all of the horrible things I had seen. What was worse, he declared my birthday 'Piccolo Day', the day that he would exterminate one section of the Earth chosen by a lottery. The whole premise of his so-called "holiday" disgusted me. After I read the article, I wondered how something so horrible could happen to the world and yet after it was over, no one seemed to talk about it ever again. My parents had never mentioned it to me. I had never heard about it on the television, or in town. It was all very strange."

Piccolo gulped down the last of his glass of water and set it down on the table. He thought for a moment.

"So, how do you know Namekian?"

Hatsuko sipped her tea before answering. When she finished, she turned to Piccolo and Dende and began.

"Remember I told you that my father was a scientist? Well, he was a very different type of scientist. Specifically, he was a biologist that specialized in extraterrestrials. He founded a secret science organization comprised of the world's leading scientific researchers who were all interested in studying life outside of Earth. Their resources expanded with the additions of new members. When I was involved, we had about one thousand members worldwide, which doesn't sound like a lot, but for the humble beginnings the organization had, it was really a big deal. My father allowed me to write research papers for his journal that he published for the organization. The journal was a way for the members to communicate their findings to each other formally, and to propose future investigations and whatnot. When I turned eight, my father gave me a new topic to research: planet Namek. He had information about the Namekian language and culture but very little information on the biology of the nameks themselves and their planet. I mastered the language in about a year and wrote a very long paper in which I compared it to Earth's various languages. I must say, I do love your language. It's beautiful."

Piccolo and Dende stared at Hatsuko in shock. None of what she was saying seemed possible.

Hatsuko ignored their expressions and continued.

"I must admit, when I first saw Piccolo Daimao in my dreams I did not recognize him as a namek. Like I said, my father had very little information about Namekian anatomy. Only when I heard Namekian being spoken by him in one of my visions did I realize that he was from planet Namek. That was when I knew that I was meant to meet him at some point."

"I am still curious as to how you knew I would be at the tournament. If you knew who I was for all this time, why didn't you seek me out earlier?" Piccolo asked.

Hatsuko answered after she finished her tea.

"I was not aware you were alive until I taught myself how to locate chi. After I realized that your father, and consequently you, was an actual living entity, I trained myself physically and mentally to prepare myself to fight him. I knew he had been defeated, but I had a terrible feeling that he was not completely gone. I was also curious as to why my visions of your father began after my parents died. I thought that perhaps he had something to do with their death. I can see now that is probably not the case. I suppose I was desperate for answers. I gradually built up my strength, speed, chi, and mental abilities. One day I successfully remained fully conscious while having a vision. This allowed me to read your father's chi as if you he were sitting right next to me as you are now. When I got an accurate reading of his chi, I was able to locate it. I felt that it was in the direction of the tournament, so I flew towards it. The chi that I detected definitely had the properties of Piccolo Daimao's, but I know now that it was yours. When you first saw me, I was asking the attendant where I was and what the tournament was all about. I'm afraid that is why Prince Vegeta became so enraged with me."

"So, you know about the Saiyans too, then?" Dende asked.

Hatsuko nodded.

"Yes, I read about them while studying with my father. He had quite an extensive collection of information about planet Vegeta. I have some questions for the Prince himself, actually.

"We can deal with that later," interrupted Piccolo. He was tense and uncomfortable.

_She knows far too much for a sheltered human with a brilliant scientist father. Even if all that she says is true, it does not explain her strange chi properties and her superb fighting skills. Not all of that can be self taught, especially her incredible speed. _

"Tell me about your fighting abilities besides the ones you taught yourself from your visions. I have never felt a chi move in such strange ways as yours does. I also have never seen someone move as fast as you do in battle. You cannot tell me that you are human. It's not possible."

A look of honest sadness washed over Hatsuko's pale face. She looked at Piccolo and shook her head gently.

"I honestly cannot tell you where I am from. I don't know."


	16. Goku vs Vegeta

Chapter 16: Goku Vs. Vegeta

I would just like to thank those who are still discovering this story so long after I have stopped writing. I have decided to begin again, as I am determined to see this through to the end. I am also done with school, which helps! I hope you enjoy the rest of the tale, which is far from over. ^_^

* * *

Goku's eyes followed Piccolo's trail of chi as it disappeared from view, beyond the stadium and high into the atmosphere. _He __must __be __going __to __the __Look __Out_, he thought. After a few moments of thinking, Goku felt a shoulder collide with his, knocking him off his balance slightly. Vegeta strode past him out to the stadium. He seemed to think that he would begin the next match whether those in the stadium were ready or not.

"Oh right," Goku said to himself.

"Good luck, Dad. I know you'll do well. Vegeta hasn't had training from the dead like you have," Gohan's voice sounded from behind Goku. As Goku turned to acknowledge his son's uplifting farewell, he noticed a note of worry in Gohan's expression. He decided not to say anything back, or to start a conversation about how troubling the previous match was for Piccolo, so he responded with a confident thumbs up. Gohan returned the hand gesture as a signal for Goku to depart.

_I__'__m __gonna __miss __you, __Gohan_, Goku thought as he stepped out into the fading sunshine. The announcer was too busy to notice that both Goku and Vegeta had taken their places in the ring as he was hurriedly muttering to 2 attendants and wiping his brow with a handkerchief.

Vegeta stood his ground, staring blankly ahead. His gloved hands balled themselves into fists so tightly that he could feel them going numb.

_This is it, Kakarrot. My final chance to show you how inferior you really are. No low class piece of scum like you is going to over-power me any longer. I need to prove that my blood is royal for a reason… You may have found the key to becoming a Super Saiyan before I did, but I found it just the same. We are not so different in skill, you and I, but I have been a true Saiyan longer than you have. At least I accept my heritage and embrace it! _

Goku eyed Vegeta's tense visage and decided to speak first. "Vegeta, this is probably the last time we're going to fight each other. I want you to give me everything you have, and I will do the same. It wouldn't be any fun if we held back. But, remember, we can't go Super Saiyan. Okay?" Goku ended his question with the expectation that Vegeta would say something back, as he had been silent all throughout the last battle. He waited for a response, but it never came.

_I __**will **__defeat __you, __Kakarrot. __If __it__'__s __the __last __thing __I __do!_ As Vegeta ceased his silent fuming, he squatted into a fighting stance with his arms flexed. He summoned a vast amount of chi from his body within a matter of seconds before Goku could do the same. His eyes burned as he let a yell rip from his throat.

* * *

In the stands, Bulma jumped out of her seat to cheer on Vegeta. She screamed at the top of her lungs, but the sound was lost in the crowd's applause. Chi Chi eyed Bulma angrily and bared her teeth.

"Must you do that? I'm trying to concentrate on the match!" Chi Chi snapped. Bulma returned her glare and sat down. She crossed her legs and arms.

"You know, I'm not trying to sound rude, but my family could really use this money. Ever since Goku died, I've been having a really tough time feeding those boys," Chi Chi's voice had a note of acid in it. However, she kept her eyes focused straight ahead on the ring below. Bulma's eyebrows pulled together as she grew angry herself.

"Well, the way I see it, this tournament isn't about the money! It's about the sport of the fight. Don't you remember, Chi Chi? You used to be a part of this tournament too," she retorted. Chi Chi turned towards her swiftly and stuck a pointed finger onto her nose.

"Of course you're saying that, Bulma! You can _afford_ to!"

Next to them, Oolong rolled his eyes and exhaled in distaste.

* * *

Goku stared in awe at Vegeta's massive power up. His face then relaxed as he built his chi up to match his opponent's.

"You _have_ been training," Goku muttered quietly. He closed his eyes and felt his blue chi pulse around him. "I have been too." He swung his head to the right as Vegeta's fist cut through the air beside him. Ducking, Goku evaded the oncoming attack and sped towards Vegeta in the opposite direction. To the audience, the two fighters disappeared.

Vegeta fought desperately to dodge Goku's onslaught of blows. They both moved like water, slipping away from each others' limbs. Vegeta began to perspire as he realized how much faster Goku had become. Suddenly, he buckled under the weight of something that felt like an iron anvil on his stomach. The air rushed from his lungs as he barreled down towards the ground.

Goku felt his knee hit Vegeta's ribs. He did not experience pain, but began to worry what the prince would do to retaliate. Just before they both hit the ground, Goku flew backwards at almost the same speed as he descended. Vegeta had sent a chi blast from his hand straight into Goku to free himself. Goku let himself fly into the sky and suddenly realized how bright the sun was. He acted fast.

"_Taiyo-ken!_" he yelled as he formed one of Tenshinhan's signature moves. Vegeta, following Goku in the direction of his energy attack, suddenly became shrouded in darkness.

"AAAAGHHHHH!" he exclaimed. He stopped short in midair and clutched his face, clawing at his eyelids. All he could see was green and yellow spots when he reopened them. "Damn it, Kakarrot!" Vegeta remembered this attack well and was angry that he didn't foresee it. The next thing he knew, he was being punched and kicked from every direction.

Goku did not waste time. He quickly dealt blows into Vegeta to weaken him as much as he could before the _taiyo-ken_ wore off.

* * *

Piccolo felt a sudden pull in the atmosphere. His ears twitched.

"We must leave. Goku and Vegeta are fighting. Come; I promised I would bring you back to the arena," he said to Hatsuko sternly.

Hatsuko felt her heart skip a beat. _Should __I __trust __him __now? __He __may __have __saved __my __life, __but __I__'__ve __only __known __him __for __a __few __hours__… __Maybe __I __should __fly __home_, she thought as a bead of sweat rolled past her ear. Her eye then caught Dende, who appeared at her side. He looked up into her eyes and smiled in a genuinely comforting way.

"I want you to know that you are always welcome at Kami's Look Out, Hatsuko. You have allies in us," he consoled, while nodding towards Piccolo and Mr. Popo. He extended his hand. Unable to refuse Dende's kindness, Hatsuko shook his hand and smiled back.

"Thank you. It's been an honor," she said. _What __a __strange __day __this __has __been_.

"We must make haste. Can you fly?" asked Piccolo's deep drone behind her. Hatsuko turned and nodded after she assessed how much chi she had lost. Enough had been recovered during the time she was unconscious to allow her to fly back. "Let's go," he ordered finally. His giant form lifted into the sky and rocketed off the edge of the Look Out. Hatsuko followed using an equal amount of speed.

Once Hatsuko and Piccolo tapped onto the grounds of the tournament arena, Vegeta and Goku were locked in an attack. The audience had been silent for some time now as they were confused by the level of intensity this battle had produced. They were used to the entertaining theatrics of Mr. Satan, not all-out blood battles fueled by years of jealousy and rivalry.

* * *

Vegeta and Goku grasped each others' hands, each one pushing against the other with measurable tons of pressure. Each warrior's chi aura reacted with the others', creating sparks and immense amounts of heat. Vegeta clenched his teeth together and growled in concentration. He summoned chi from the inner most parts of himself that he had been reserving. A wave of intangible energy overwhelmed Goku's grip on his foe, releasing it. The split second was all Vegeta needed. He grabbed Goku's gi and hurled him with all his strength in no particular direction.

Goku saw the audience grow closer and closer as his body hurled towards the stands. To recover, he forced his chi beyond his body to halt his momentum. Then, he vanished. Vegeta panicked for a slight second. When he finally detected Goku's energy, he felt a force collide with the small of his back. Outraged, he used his chi to halt his body from barreling forward as Goku had done seconds before. He felt the blood rush to his temple.

_What __is __this? __I__'__m __at __full __power! __He __shouldn__'__t __be __able __to __throw __me __around __like __that!_ Vegeta began to grow more furious than before. His rage boiled inside him. Once he felt himself begin to change, he ascended towards the clouds. Goku followed.

* * *

Piccolo approached the announcer, who was staring dumbfounded into the sky. After he was sure Hatsuko was behind him, he cleared his throat. Startled, the announcer jumped towards Piccolo.

"Uh, yes?" he asked shakily. Piccolo answered by motioning behind him to Hatsuko with his thumb. The announcer's face grimaced into an unsure smile. "Oh, of course! Excellent to see that you're alright, Miss!" he said. "Some match, huh? Who do you think will win?" Piccolo half-smiled and shook his head.

"It's uncertain, but even if this battle has a victor, it will be far from over," he answered. He turned and made his way towards the waiting room where Gohan and the rest of his party was. Hatsuko bowed curtly to the announcer before following Piccolo.

* * *

A mile above the ground, Vegeta attempted to regain control of his breathing. He could feel the pressure leave his head as he came to a conclusion. Goku came into view. Finally the prince spoke.

"Kakarrot, we are too evenly matched in our normal states. We must go Super Saiyan to make this interesting," his order disguised as a request resonated in his breast. _If __I __push __myself __to __my __utmost __limit, __and __I __still __fail, __I __will __never __be __able __to __accept __myself._

"Fine. But, Vegeta, you have to promise to control yourself. If you don't, we'll hurt the people down there," Goku warned.

"Whatever, Kakarrot. Always so noble," Vegeta spat. He felt the built-up chi in his core expand. His muscles tingled as they swelled. A sinister smile stretched Vegeta's mouth further apart as his hair and eyes began to lighten. When the energy peaked, his senses became clearer. His sight of Goku's transformation enhanced the power he felt. "Hah! Now let us begin!"

Just as Vegeta shot a ball of golden energy at Goku, he spotted a similar one flying towards him. Both saiyans fled. Vegeta's fist then collided with Goku's chest. Upon feeling the blow land, Goku retreated from sight.

_Below_, thought Vegeta. As if by reflex, his body shot downward towards Goku's chi. But, instead of Goku coming into view, a blue flash of light stung his eyes. _No!_ Vegeta yanked his body to the side just as the Kamehameha past him, singeing his clothing fibers slightly. Within a few seconds, he collided with Goku. The two floated in stillness, locked in a simultaneous block. Vegeta's temper rose his energy even higher, peaking just below the threshold of the second Super Saiyan transformation.

_I __don__'__t __understand __it! __I __should __be __able __to __match __Kakarrot__'__s __power __without __reaching __Super __Saiyan __two! __I __cannot __be __that __inferior! __I __have __trained __for __all __these __years, __living __while __he __is __dead, __pushing __myself __to __my __limit __to __come __back __only __stronger! __How __can __it __not __be __enough? __It __has __never __been __enough!_ Vegeta's inner battle with himself had raised his chi to an uncontrollable level. His vision became blurred and suddenly his fists and feet began to move of their own accord, directing themselves at Goku.

Goku frantically tried to block Vegeta's blows, but they were more difficult to evade than before. The chi emitted by the prince was overwhelming. Its intensity made the air around them hard to inhale and stink of burnt skin and hair. Goku realized that he could still gain the upper hand.

"Kaiyo-ken!" he yelled as a red colored chi engulfed him. His gained burst of speed and strength allowed him to deal a blow to Vegeta's shoulder blades that sent him hurling to the ground. As soon as he hit his foe, Goku followed at top speed, racing back down to the stadium. Before he caught up, he heard Vegeta's body collide with the concrete.

Vegeta erupted in a blast of yellow chi from the hole he created in the floor, causing the audience to let out a cry of surprise. He had reached the second threshold of Super Saiyan. His senses sharpened even more, allowing him to see Goku's look of awe come across his face as he tapped down on the ground. Vegeta's limbs, still moving at the mercy of his blood lust, shot white hot beams of chi toward Goku, who dodged them all with seeming ease. Enraged again at Goku's unwavering skill, Vegeta rushed towards Goku and instead of dealing a punch, grabbed onto his foe's gi. In a quick burst of power, Vegeta lifted them both up and out of the arena at a blinding speed. All that was left was a trail of smoke and light.

The announcer's jaw dropped as he witnessed the tournament's last two contestants leave the stadium grounds, thus disqualifying themselves. The audience erupted in a loud protest, cursing Vegeta and Goku for ruining the tournament.

Piccolo ground his teeth together as he stared into the sky. "They're headed to the next island over!" he said to the others. Krillin looked at him worriedly.

"Should we follow? Vegeta's in a rage! He could kill Goku!" he said frantically.

"Vegeta can't defeat Goku," 18 muttered indifferently. She was looking straight ahead. Her robotic qualities made themselves apparent.

"Regardless of whoever is stronger, we should go anyway. We arrived together and we should leave together," Piccolo responded levelly. His ears heard Krillin swallow hard. "Let's go!" he boomed, rallying the fighters to take to the sky with him. No one wasted time. Within a moment, they all launched themselves after Vegeta. Hatsuko stood her ground, unsure of what to do. Before she could convince herself otherwise, she felt a hand grip her shoulder. She looked up and Piccolo's face glanced down at her's.

"Come with us," he said in an almost threatening manner. She did not appreciate his tone of voice, but she had to do as he said. He was not only curious about him, but also the saiyans he took company with. She had things to tell them as well, and she could not leave without doing so. Hatsuko nodded slightly. With that, they both took off after the others.


	17. Confrontation

Chapter 17: Confrontation

Far in the distance, Hatsuko could decipher palm trees. The island came closer and closer into focus as she followed Piccolo. She dug her nails into the flesh of her palms.

In a matter of moments, they arrived. Piccolo waited to speak until he heard Hatsuko's feet dig into the sand.

"I will warn you to be on guard. The power that these two fighters possess may exceed your expectations. Their limit has not yet been reached," he stated in a calm monotone. Without looking to Hatsuko for a response, he disappeared into the thick wall of foliage before them.

Hatsuko's right eye twitched in annoyance. _He speaks to me as if I'm a child. I know perfectly well what Saiyans are capable of._ She followed Piccolo's foot prints into the forest. As Hatsuko made her way deeper inland, she felt the air thicken. The hairs on her arms began to stand up. Vegeta and Goku's chi were growing with every second.

A tense scene lay just beyond the trees in a small clearing near a steep waterfall. Goku and Vegeta were suspended in midair about 30 feet above the water. They were perfectly still, but their auras danced around them like lightning. The rest of the party stood still and watched intently. Both sported fresh wounds on their faces and arms. Goku's gi was ripped from his left shoulder to his navel where Vegeta had grabbed it.

A few minutes passed. Then Goku spoke.

"Vegeta, why all the blood? I know you wanted to fight, but you're taking this much more seriously than I thought you would." Goku's face looked uncharacteristically weathered. Gohan ran his eyes back and forth over his father's visage.

_Dad… _He thought worriedly.

Vegeta took his time answering.

"All my life, Kakarrot, I've been serving a despot…never able to realize my full potential. Now that I'm free, what do I do? I chose to live as a commoner on this miserable planet. The planet that _you_ were supposed to destroy! Sometimes I look at myself in the mirror and wonder what happened to me. But I've figured it out…it's all _your_ fault. You became the saiyan of legend before I knew it was even possible. And when I did too, you _still_ over powered me! And what are you? Nothing. You're a low class piece of trash that contracted amnesia! And I, the Prince of _Vegeta_, cannot defeat you! I am _always_ behind you! The only thing we differ on is temperament. You lost your Saiyan blood lust when you hit your head…but mine has remained. I thought that maybe I could benefit from the life you had here. I thought that your secret to success in battle was this…_compassion_ you have for others. All along I knew I wanted to be the way I used to. But I fought it. I even became accustomed to my comfortable life here. But I cannot stand for being beneath your abilities anymore! Even after training for all these years without you in my way, I still can't leave you behind! _What more must I do?_" Vegeta's chi expanded into a blue sphere around him, pushing Goku back a few feet.

Goku continued to stare at Vegeta's face, determined not to react. Goku's silence maddened Vegeta. His blood pulsed against his skin like acid. He began to lose control over his chi, which singed his clothing a bit. He roared in anger and charged.

Goku ducked from Vegeta's shoulder, which narrowly missed him, but met with his foot from behind. Vegeta moved as fast as he could at maximum power, punching and grabbing for any part of Goku he could reach. Goku realized that his loss of chi was beginning to affect his speed. Fists were meeting his chest every few seconds, weakening him further.

On the ground, Hatsuko's eyes rolled back and forth to follow the battle. She swallowed nervously.

_This can't happen yet. If Prince Vegeta seriously wounds Goku, he could go back to the spirit realm. And if Goku kills Vegeta, I will never get any answers! Surely, if anyone knows anything about the Saiyans, it's Vegeta. I have to speak with him._ After seconds of mental preparation, Hatsuko gathered all the chi she had left into her core, then released it.

Hatsuko's silhouette disappeared from Piccolo's peripheral view. His head snapped to attention. "What? Where'd she—"he stopped and looked up. He gasped, his jaw ajar, as he witnessed Hatsuko reappear between the two saiyans. She was blocking both of their punches with her forearms. Her rose colored aura swirled around her.

Vegeta's eyes turned bloodshot. "_YOU!"_ he screamed, his voice cracking. His chi flared, sizzling against Hatsuko's. Goku immediately tried to get between Vegeta and Hatsuko, but he was too slow. Vegeta kicked Hatsuko square in the jaw. She flew down towards the water, then disappeared from sight. Piccolo and the others braced themselves to fly to her aid, but before they launched, she reappeared high above.

A pink beam of chi shot through Vegeta's right leg. Hatsuko's body followed through her attack and collided with his. Even though he was wounded, Vegeta did not lose momentum. The two fighters became shrouded in flashes of blue and pink bolts of energy. Then, another figure appeared from behind the battle. Videl grabbed Gohan's cape and pointed towards it.

"Look! There's someone there!" she yelled.

Gohan tried to sense the difference in the energy the figure was emitting. _Why does that chi feel the same as…?_ He squinted. There were now two sources of pink chi. His mouth fell open.

"She's cloned herself!"

Piccolo noticed that Gohan was right. He saw two Hatsukos fighting Vegeta now.

_Amazing. I haven't seen this technique since Tenshinhan used it…How does she have these abilities?_

Hatsuko and her clone ceased attacking and instead flew around in circles, creating a cyclone of energy that engulfed Vegeta. Vegeta yelled out, furiously clawing the air in an attempt to escape. All of a sudden, Hatsuko stopped. She and her clone closed in on the Prince, each grabbing him by the collar of his body suit.

"Tell me how you got here, Prince Vegeta. Where is Frieza?"

* * *

Vegeta's heart palpitated. "Wh-What did you say?" he breathed. He realized, in that moment of rest, that his ribs were sore and he was in a great deal of pain. Gritting his teeth, he ripped Hatsuko's hands off of him.

"_Who are you working for?_" he growled.

Hatsuko retreated a few feet to free herself from Vegeta's grasp. Swiftly, she grabbed her clone and yanked it as hard as she could into her side. The clone merged with her body, causing a loud crunching sound. Hatsuko winced in pain.

"I'm not working for anyone. If you would sit still long enough to listen, I would explain why I know who you are. I simply want answers."

Vegeta gasped for air. "Then speak," he said between breaths.

Goku, who had been levitating off to the side, drifted toward them.

"I don't want to stop the two of you from your quarrel, but I need to ask you questions now while I still can. Goku, you leave this realm after today is over, correct?"

Goku nodded.

"Very well…Just hear me out, then. Afterwards, you can continue whatever business you have to take care of," she said as she turned back to face Vegeta. "You worked for Frieza the last I heard. Why are you on Earth?"

"Frieza is dead you idiot girl," Vegeta snapped. "Kakarrot and I fought against him and my son ultimately defeated him."

After a few seconds of confused silence, Goku continued to explain. "What Vegeta means is, we ran into Frieza on Namek. He was after their dragon balls to wish for immortality. Vegeta, Piccolo, Krillin and Gohan all fought him. I thought I killed him, but he came back to Earth later. Luckily, Trunks took care of him."

Hatsuko hesitated. "…You mean, you're little boy who fought in the tournament? _He _defeated Frieza?"

Goku explained how Trunks came from the future to warn them about the androids, and then Cell.

"Wait, _androids_?" Hatsuko directed her gaze to Number 18, who was on the ground below next to Krillin. Goku laughed.

"Yeah, she's alright now! She even learned to like Krillin enough to marry him!"

"So, you must know Dr. Gero!" Hatsuko said, her face lighting up.

"Know him? We _killed_ that worm!" Vegeta spat. "He made himself into a perverse robot. Wasn't even worth it; he was weak all the same."

"He _what_? How is that possible?" Hatsuko began to shiver.

"Believe me, honey, it's possible," called 18 from below.

"Yeah, he wasn't very strong, but Cell was a pain to defeat. Gohan finished him off in the end!" said Goku, smiling proudly.

Vegeta growled under his breath. "So, what is with all these questions? What purpose is this serving you?"

"I was in contact with Dr. Gero. The last I heard about him was a phone call from Dr. Briefs saying he had disappeared from his home. No one had heard from him. They thought he died."

"You know Dr. Briefs? That's Bulma's dad!" said Goku.

"Who's Bulma?" asked Hatsuko, raising her eyebrow.

"Oh, that's Vegeta's uh…well, his son's mother!"

Vegeta's blood began to boil. "Enough of this crap! Tell us who you're working for!"

Hatsuko folded herself over defensively in case she found herself under attack again.

"I'm _not_ working for _anyone_! I used to be in contact with Dr. Briefs when I was younger…he knew my father. We wrote for the same science journal. Dr. Gero contributed until he disappeared. It wasn't long before my parents died," she said, her voice slipping a little.

"Then how could you _possibly_ know about Frieza?" Vegeta retorted angrily.

"Oddly enough, Gero wrote an article about the Icejins and the Saiyans. Much of our information about extraterrestrials came from his research. Apparently, he had the most advanced telescope on the planet. No one was allowed to see it, though. He told us he kept it underground so no one would steal it or copy its design. He only sent us edited blueprints to give us an idea of what it looked like. I don't ever recall him sending us information about any androids, though," Hatsuko gazed down at 18 again, her eyes narrowing.

"I know how Gero got that information. It wasn't just from a telescope." Piccolo's deep voice suddenly sounded from behind Hatsuko. She jumped a little and swiftly turned to face him.

"…How?" she asked shakily.

"He created a small probe that followed Goku, collecting his and those who fought him's DNA, mine included. That is how he created Cell. He was obsessed with finding a way to destroy Goku after his army was defeated."

"So, the probe must have collected DNA from Vegeta when he came to Earth. I see…" Hatsuko's eyes lost focus as she tried to remember when Gero reported the information. After some seconds of thinking, she spoke again.

"I do remember my father having volumes of information on several species of extraterrestrials, though. They were old volumes, too…they couldn't have come from Gero. Someone else had to have known before him." She faced Piccolo again, awaiting another answer.

"That I cannot explain. I've told you all I know," he said flatly.

"Very well…thank you for your cooperation. I'm sorry to have intruded. I hope you don't end up killing each other," Hatsuko looked at Goku. "…Again."

"Does this mean you're going to leave now?" said Vegeta through gritted teeth.

"Yes. I'm going to pay Dr. Briefs a visit. Would anyone care to join me?" Hatsuko expanded her vocal range so the spectators on the ground would hear.

"I'll go," said Krillin.

"We'll all go," said Goku. "I don't have a lot of time left…I'd like to spend it with everyone." He glared at Vegeta, who said nothing.

Hatsuko nodded. She lowered herself down to everyone else's level. They walked back through the clearing toward the beach. Goku's gaze had not left Vegeta's.

"Vegeta, can we stop this fighting? There's nothing I can do more for you than die, and I've already done that."

Vegeta's temple throbbed. "Damn you, Kakarrot. Go. I don't need any of you. I also never asked you to sacrifice yourself…not that it actually mattered," he said icily.

"Goodbye, Vegeta," Goku said before he took off in the direction of the others. Piccolo remained suspended a few yards away.

"What are _you_ looking at, namek?" Vegeta barked.

"What will you do now?" Piccolo asked in response. He kept himself calm, a trait he had re-acquired from his merger with Kami.

"None of your business. Leave me."

Piccolo obeyed and flew off after Goku.


	18. Visit to Capsule Corp

Chapter 18: Visit to Capsule Corp.

The wind in Hatsuko's face began to burn her eyes. She squinted to release the tears that were building. Krillin felt a drop of water hit his cheek. He locked eyes on the back of Hatsuko's head as he followed her.

"We're almost there!" he called to her. Hatsuko answered by nodding ever so slightly.

_I wonder what she's gonna ask Dr. Briefs_, Krillin thought to himself. He kept himself on alert just in case Hatsuko turned on them. He still didn't fully trust her. They knew so little about her, yet she wanted to interfere in all of their lives so suddenly.

Krillin tapped onto the ground seconds after Hatsuko. They stood outside of Capsule Corp., a giant spherical building full of scientific marvels. Without glancing behind her, Hatsuko advanced through the front door without knocking.

"She's persistent, isn't she," 18 said rather than asked. Krillin turned towards her and smiled nervously.

"Hah, yeah! I'm honestly surprised she's still alive. I wonder what made Piccolo heal her. She seemed to have had it in for him."

"We should probably follow," his wife responded. She stared blankly ahead at the open door. Krillin nodded and entered the building without waiting for Goku and the others.

The patter of Hatsuko's boots echoed off the floor of the hall she entered. At the end of the hall was a small white piano. She made her way towards it as another tear trickled down her cheek. Quickly, she wiped it from her skin.

When she reached the piano, she halted.

"Hello?" her voice sounded against the hard white walls. The echo of her voice called back to her. After receiving no response, she sat down in front of the piano. Just as the front door closed behind Krillin and 18, Hatsuko's fingers had found a chord.

* * *

"That's it, Darling. You sound heavenly," Kohana encouraged gently. Her voice, soft as down, resounded in the thick silence that could only follow a musical number. Hatsuko looked up at her mother and beamed.

"I did it without any mistakes! That's the first time, Mom! Can you believe it?" Hatsuko's round face expanded and hid her eyes as a smile overtook it. She giggled and rocked back and forth on the ground. Kohana laughed as she watched her daughter.

_I'm so proud of you,_ she thought as her heart swelled.

From the basement, a wet and painful cough ripped through the joyous sound of laughter. Hatsuko and her mother immediately stopped and dropped their faces. Kohana gasped and fled the room to the stairs. Hatsuko stared worriedly after her.

For a little over a fortnight her father had been coughing this way. In the beginning, he exhibited the signs of a common cold. But his symptoms persisted and worsened with every day. His breathing unsettled Hatsuko the most. When he inhaled, it sounded as if the air was rattling his lungs. They were glass shards barely being held together. Above all else, Hatsuko hated that sound.

* * *

Bulma drummed her manicured nails on her arm impatiently.

"Where on _Earth_ did they go? How dare they ruin the tournament for us! I came here to see some action!"

"Goku!" cried Chi Chi.

Bulma snapped out of her tantrum and turned around. She scanned the sky for Vegeta but realized he had not followed Goku.

"Hey! Where's Vegeta?" Bulma demanded, breaking up Goku and Chi Chi's embrace. Piccolo answered her before anyone else could speak.

"He decided to go his own way. He said to leave him be," he glared at Bulma sternly to impart his seriousness.

"What? But why?" she yelled. She turned to Goku again for answers, completely ignoring Piccolo. She still had a prejudice against him after all these years.

"Honestly, Bulma, we don't know. He was really angry with me and wanted to be by himself. He has some issues to work out. I would let him go if I were you. Vegeta will do what he has to." After a moment of silence, Goku spoke again.

"We have to go to your house, Bulma. The girl who fought Piccolo in the tournament wants to speak to your parents about something."

"_My_ parents? How does she even know who they are? Did you tell her something about my dad's company? What if she wants to steal from him?"

"Bulma, calm down and stop yelling at Goku!" Chi Chi intervened. "I have only a few hours left with my husband and I won't have you ruin it!" The two women fumed at each other.

Piccolo frowned and turned to Goku. "We should go. I suspect they have arrived already."

Goku nodded. "We'll meet all of you at Capsule Corp. okay? Bulma if you could meet us there as soon as you can that'd be great. We're not sure what this girl wants from your family but I'm pretty sure she's harmless. She might want to talk to you too."

"Fine. We'll take my ship and meet you there," Bulma said sternly.

Piccolo suddenly felt something from across the stadium. His eyes instinctively settled on a tall and broad cloaked figure. He seemed to be similar in size to Piccolo, although possibly a little shorter. As soon as the figure knew he was spotted, he walked through the entrance, out of sight.

"Let's go, Piccolo," said Goku. Piccolo nodded and launched himself into the sky.

* * *

Piccolo focused on Hatsuko's chi. _We're getting closer_, he thought. As Capsule Corp. came into his view, his ears twitched. He detected a faint but pleasant sound. He could not quite place what its source was. He increased his speed and felt Goku do the same.

Before Piccolo landed, he hovered toward the Capsule Corp. building, listening intently. He squinted as he concentrated on the beautiful sounds he heard. The notes gradually moved along, but slowly, as if they were rolling along a creek. His curiosity led him through the front door.

"What is it, Piccolo?" asked Goku. Just as he ended his question, he heard the music coming from inside the building. He followed.

* * *

Kohana shut her bedroom door. _I can't believe he's been coughing for 5 hours straight. Thank goodness he had those herbs stashed in the back shed. I almost forgot about them._

The sight of Hatsuko interrupted Kohana's thoughts. She was slumped over herself asleep in the hallway just outside their door. Her heart swelled with pain.

"Oh, child…" she sobbed. She kneeled down next to Hatsuko and held her. As she cried, she felt a tingle in her throat. She suppressed it as she gasped in sorrow.

Hatsuko lay limp in her mother's arms. Her eyes were wide open, her pupils dilated. She had not been sleeping at all. For in the last week, she had been too restless to sleep. The strange thing was, she also did not want sleep.

* * *

When Piccolo entered the building, his ears filled with divine sounds. The notes entered into his core and filled him with a strange warmth that he could only attribute to the sun. His eyes found the source: Hatsuko and the instrument ahead of him. He did not recognize the instrument but knew that it was called _piano_. The name held significance for his father.

Hatsuko felt Piccolo's chi come closer. She finished the song just as he reached her. She glanced up at him and he looked pacified but still as stern as before.

"You came as well?" she asked. Piccolo nodded once.

Goku's footsteps sounded down the hall.

"You can play music? That's pretty neat!" he said happily. The corner of Hatsuko's mouth rose slightly. She had not played any music in years.

The door opened yet again. An elderly couple entered and dropped the bags they were carrying in surprise.

"Oh! I didn't know we were having visitors!" said the woman. She quickly began to pick up the items off of the floor.

Hatsuko stood up quickly to greet them. A bead of sweat trickled down her face.

"Dr. Briefs! It's an honor!" she boomed down the hall. Her nervous salutation took Dr. Briefs aback. He waved to her, unsure of who was addressing him.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure," he answered vaguely.

In a second, Hatsuko was in front of him, bowing deeply. "I'm so glad to have finally met you, Sir! I wish I could have sooner, but I didn't know where you lived!" She waited for him to recognize her.

"Oh, and you are, my Dear?"

Hatsuko's pale face flushed. "Uhm, uh, Miki Hatsuko, Sir," she said, her voice cracking a little.

Dr. Briefs adjusted his glasses and his jaw fell. "Wha-what? My dear girl! Is it really you? Forgive me!" He quickly returned Hatsuko's bow in apology.

Goku and the others watched the exchange in confusion.

"Please, come in!" offered Dr. Briefs. His wife was already making sounds in the kitchen, preparing something.

Mrs. Briefs greeted Hatsuko eagerly when the group entered the kitchen.

"Deary, were you playing my piano? That's wonderful! I used to take lessons so long ago but I'm afraid I'm so out of practice!" She chuckled and thrust a cup of tea into Hatsuko's hand.

"Oh! You took lessons? That's great. I've been playing since I could reach a piano. My mother taught me."

"Remember, Dear, you took lessons from her too. What was her name again, Hatsuko?" Dr. Briefs' question caused Hatsuko to choke.

"Wh-Whuh? _You_ took lessons with my mom?" Hatsuko sputtered.

"Oh, that's right I did! It was when Bulma went off to school and I had some free time on my hands during the day. That's when I bought the piano in there." Mrs. Briefs smiled and cocked her head sideways.

"Unbelievable…" Hatsuko didn't realize how connected her family was with the Briefs. She only knew Dr. Briefs as a member of her father's secret society.

"How are your parents, my dear?" Dr. Briefs asked Hatsuko. When she hesitated, the room fell silent.

"Oh…you don't know? They passed away a long time ago. I thought you knew," Hatsuko said quietly. She fumbled with her hair and let it out of its pony tail to fall around her face.

"Goodness…I'm so sorry to hear that. How did they, if you don't mind my asking?"

"They fell ill. I never did figure out what it was. They seemed to come down with horrible colds that would not go away," Hatsuko said, fighting back tears.

"I see…" Dr. Briefs sat down at the table in the middle of the room and stared into space. After a moment of thinking, he spoke again. "I wonder why I did not hear of this. I was quite concerned that your father had simply given up the journal or had disqualified me from it. I stopped receiving updates all of the sudden."

Hatsuko shrugged. "I didn't realize he kept his illness a secret. I'm sorry you weren't informed. He definitely did not mean to exclude you from anything."

"Yes, I'm sure. The only thing I remember was receiving a letter of resignation from Dr. Gero. He supposedly sent it to all of the members. He said he wanted to work on other projects."

"He probably meant the androids and Cell," said Goku.

Hatsuko glanced over to 18, who was minding her own business in the other room.

"That's definitely what he meant," she agreed flatly.

"Well, Hatsuko, if you would like, I could take your blood to check for anti-bodies. It seems to me that the illness your parents had was a virus, although somehow_ you_ did not contract it. The answer may be swimming around in your veins somewhere."

Hatsuko's face relaxed a little. "You're probably right, Doctor. Let's try it!"

The door slammed open, causing everyone to jump. Bulma stormed into the kitchen.

"What is going on? Why were we forced to rush back here?" she fumed. Her cheeks were pink.

"Calm down, Sweetie. We're just catching up with an old friend. This is Dr. Okami's daughter, Hatsuko. Do you remember him?" Dr. Briefs' calm attitude made Bulma look like anything but his daughter.

"Dr. _Who_? Oh, you mean the man I never met because he fired you or something?"

"It turns out he didn't fire me. He just passed away."

Hatsuko cleared her throat and smiled at Bulma. "It's nice to finally meet you, Bulma. I wish I had heard more about you, but I was so young when our fathers were working together."

Bulma relaxed in response to Hatsuko's kindness. She exhaled.

"Hah, yeah it was forever ago. Back when _I_ was young too. It's nice to meet you too. So, when did you pick up martial arts? You were scaring everyone back there!"

Just before Hatsuko could open her mouth, a strange voice boomed over head.

"_Son Goku! Listen!_"

"Ka-Kaio-sama?" asked Goku to the air. Everyone in the room stirred anxiously.

"_Goku! Listen! You must assemble all your warriors and family and travel to Kami-sama's palace immediately! I will explain when you get there! Hurry and don't waste time!_"

Goku obeyed. "Everyone, come with me!"


	19. A Note From the Author

**A Note from the Author**

Readers,

For those who are still reading my piece, thank you. I want to write a note in response to an anonymous review I recently received regarding the nature of my fan fiction. The one thing I do not like about anonymous reviews is that I cannot respond properly. For this reason, I have disabled them (and also to prevent spam).

I just have a few things to address about the review I received. I always will welcome criticism and advice, but when given with my story in mind and mine only. I am in no way a self proclaimed "Fan Fiction Writer". I created my account for _Unmei_ only. I thought this story up a few years ago for writing and creative practice, but also for fun. Dragon Ball is a manga and anime series that I have grown to love and admire as an artist and a writer. I do not, in any way, aspire to be a renowned fan fiction writer, because quite honestly, I do not respect it that much as a "serious" art form. I find it to be a means to an end as far as an outlet for creative energy and imagination. For me, it is a hobby and nothing more. I am not trying to compete with anyone. However, for those who have gained popularity and appraise for their fan fictions, I commend you.

I thank those who have praised my story. I have not, however, expressed in any way that I claim to be better than any other writer on this website. I read some stories, and I don't read others. If there are certain aspects of my story that a reader finds uninteresting or generic, then I would only expect them to do what I would do – not read the story. I am not trying to discourage criticism, but I do not want to be compared or contrasted to other stories. I do not take part in the Fan Fiction culture other than writing this story.

There are a few things I would also like to clarify with regards to my plot and character decisions. This story is not meant to be a romance or a "pairing" between Hatsuko and Piccolo. I will not reveal anything, but Hatsuko is important in the plot to expand the Dragon Ball mythology, much like the characters from the movies (who were not canon). I chose for her to be female because I, like so many other fans of the series, have wanted to see a strong female fighter enter the story. I always disliked Toriyama's typical "Shonen" treatment of main female characters- either naggy and useless or underrepresented- so I created Hatsuko to embody strength, independence and gender equality. I have also given her certain abilities for a reason; each one of her abilities also has a source, which I will reveal in later chapters. She is not meant to be a reflection of myself or any person that I know. I believe that any accusation of the sort is unwarranted since I do not know anyone on this website (to my knowledge).

In sum, _Unmei_ is meant to be a "What if?" story, much like the recent Bardock special that just came out in Japan. It is not canon and is not trying to be canon. However, with respect to Toriyama's characters, I try to keep all canon characters' personalities in tact. If your opinion opposes this, then so be it. Of course, as with any fan fiction, the direction that Toriyama's characters will go in during the course of my story will be skewed. After this latest chapter, I am going to rewrite the Boo Saga entirely. The cast of characters will be the same (Hatsuko is the exception, obviously) but their decisions will be different. The plot I have devised will hopefully be a fun "What if?" story for those who care to read.

I hope this memo clears some things up for those who may have had misgivings about my story. I apologize if it seems generic, but I am not trying to impress anyone. I am writing this for myself and to share it with others who may enjoy it as well. If they don't enjoy it, I ask to simply skip it and read something that appeals to them. All in all, I believe fan fiction should change some things around. If it didn't, it wouldn't be fan fiction. Thank you to everyone who is reading this story and also to the reviewers. I appreciate every review, whether you like the story or not.

Thank you again,

Jess (yes, this is my real name!)


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